Aeternus Somnus
by Alrynnas
Summary: Noct plays his role as his life is planned for him for the better of Lucis. All then comes to a stop when a terrible murder occurs, shattering the world and the life he knew. Everything is left behind as he flees for his life, with only his friends and the Crystal to aid him as he seeks out the source of corruption. But fate is still unkind. Sequel to Lux Crystallis. In Progress.
1. Political Plans

Full Summary-

Noctis grudgingly plays his role as his life is planned for him for the better of Lucis. All then comes to a stop when a terrible murder occurs, shattering the world and the life he knew. Everything must be left behind as he flees for his life, only his friends and the Crystal to aid him as he decides to search for the root of the conspiracy against his kingdom. But there is a much greater corruption afoot, one that threatens to consume both their world and the Underworld alike.

The cursed fate that had only been a whisper in forgotten legends rises to become a very real fear, threatening to destroy everything and everyone from its ancient roots. Noctis and his friends must find the strength within them to say goodbye to all they knew so that they may ensure that everything and everyone may wake from the eternal slumber.

Disclaimer- I do not own Final Fantasy Versus XIII Final Fantasy XV or its characters. (If only.)

**A/N:** Here it is! I hope enough people were interested in seeing the story continued to enjoy reading this! Sequel to my previous Versus fic, Lux Crystallis, this story will take Noctis and his friends (and some new faces) on a new journey that ties in more closely with the Fabula Nova Crystallis Mythos! (No, this does not mean it will be connected in any way to FFXIII, but rather the lore that had been created as the origin story for each of the games under FNC. Who knows yet if Versus will still actually follow this, but my story sure will.) I suppose it's not imperative that you read LC, but it would be a great help.

(Oh, and the current header image for it is only temporary until I get myself to draw up something for this story...hopefully.)

Expect a much slower-paced start to this story. Updates will also be slow, as I have much other stuff to work on for school, and I want to focus more on another story I'm working on at the moment. I just wanted to get this chapter up as soon as possible to that people know that a sequel _is_ happening. I do hope you enjoy!

Oh yes, and Aeternus Somnus is Latin for "The Eternal Slumber" (according to my friend that has taken Latin). This will be playing as the main theme in the story, including both literal and figurative meanings of it. I'll let you ponder just what that means will be in store for everyone...

**Update June 12, 2013:** At last, a new trailer! With it, I'll be editing some names in this story, and Lux Crystallis. My apologies to anyone who's coming from LC to this in the middle of the editing. I'll try to do it quickly.

Just the names are being fixed, nothing else. The plot that I have planned is staying as is. Sadly, as I previously thought may be the case, Niflheim is not the name of Noct's kingdom, but instead appears to be Lucis. Also, Noctis' father appears to be Regis. I'll update any other names that need it (mainly just Stella's father at this point) as they're announced.

If anyone notices any that I've missed, feel free to point them out! I'd appreciate it.

* * *

**Aeternus Somnus**

I

_Political Plans_

_Deep within the earth, where not even the faintest shred of light could attempt to reach, ancient tremors rumbled their way through the dateless ground. Each was like a pulse, a heartbeat, pumping the life of the planet to every corner to be used by the world's inhabitants before one day returning to its proper place down below. Every memory, every feeling of the planet could be felt. The tale it had to tell was a long, endless story of its life, and all those that had lived, or would live; as old as the ever-changing earth itself. Tales of joy. Tales of sadness. Tales of life. And tales of the cursed end, death. Here, every secret of the living world was stored._

_ Here, he could search for all eternity without disruption._

_ Once, he dared travel on the surface in his search, admiring the subtle beauties of the world that had grown into its own. But then the infestation had begun. Tiny, insignificant insects sprung forth, altering the land, barely capable of being kept under control. He cared for them nought. The others took care of them, treating them like favoured pets. But that was not his duty. That was not the task he had been given back when the flows of time were still being weaved._

_ The final task he had been charged with was searching. And thus, endlessly, tirelessly, he searched. Those annoying pests that had been left under guard of the others only distracted him, taunted him. At the end of their cursed lived, they managed to pass on to the very place he so relentlessly searched for. It was agonizingly humiliating to have the answer so close and yet always just out of his reach. So he had receded into the ancient earth, letting the others deal with the pests and the world he left behind._

_ From deep within the bowls of the world, he could search without any distraction. No more meddling or taunting from those annoying little pests. Let them deal with their cursed fates on their own, forever corrupting the world and spreading their curse to it as well. That was why he searched, to help find the way to end the world's cursed fate. Perhaps it would be better just to let it all end. All the meddling, all the corruption, all of it had only brought the world closer and closer to its cursed conclusion. But that was not his choice to make. He had completed his original tasks, and so now all he needed to do was search._

_ All of the world's thoughts and memories passed through him now. He studied and analyzed them, never once getting lost in the twisted and tormented emotions. Remaining below the earth, he did not rise ever again, even when the others were being slaughtered. That event, and that event alone, nearly tore him away from his duties. But such was the result of their cursed fate. Perhaps he could have helped, but who was he alone to change their fate? That was not his task. That task fell to another. And so he continued to search, so that the other may fix the cursed fate._

_ The tremors of the world's memories fluxed in turmoil. They groaned and twisted in unfamiliar ways. Such an event was not rare. It was a natural for more wild tremors of memories to shake through the earth when events occurred, for every event was different and special on its own._

_ But this one...this one was like none before it._

_ The cursed end breached into the living world above. It was not like before where the cursed end merely looked upon the mortal world from its dark domain and welcomed those annoying pests as they met their fate and slipped into the unseen realm. This time, there were no pathetic wails from the lost souls mixed into the memories of the world when the small glimpse of the unseen realm could be felt._

_ The enticing tremors sent chilled shivers up his spine. This was what he had been searching for all these endless years. That uncrossable rift between realms that only the cursed ones could pass was now breached. His unnatural eyes slowly opened, able to see the pulse of the earth and how all the memories had shaped and carved it. Those fresh memories that had caught his attention danced in front of his vision. For a brief moment, he nearly let emotion get the better of him. Elation flowed through him._

_ Earth groaned around him as he began to move. It had been a long time since he even dared stir. From the bowls of the world he began to rise, leaving the heartbeat, the memories, and ancient shadows that had been locked deep within behind. So many memories. So many secrets. Each moment in time he was privy to still rested in his thoughts. It was time to alter the memories that had yet to come. He rode the tremors of memories, using the conduits of the world to hasten his ascent._

_ The world of the living greeted him with the warm rays of sunlight. The light tickled his cold skin, his mind having long forgotten the feeling of the surface. For a moment, he simply hung in the air, basking in the light of life once more. At least there were some things that had managed to remain free of the corruption from the annoying pests._

_ His body shifted and coiled, leaving the ancient earth completely behind. His once indescribable, almost corporeal, form morphed into that of a mortal being for ease of movement on the surface. The notion of resembling the annoying pests chafed him, but he grudgingly accepted what must be done. One part of his search was over, but there was still more for him to accomplish. First, he had to find his brother. Of all the memories of the world, little pertained to his younger sibling. Finding him would not be easy, but it had to be done quickly. It was time to fulfil the remainder of their given tasks._

_ For now the Gates had been opened._

* * *

Noctis' head hung low, his chin nearly touching his chest. Before him on the table was a folder opened to the required pages, lines and lines of boring text filling up the once blank sheets of paper. He had tried to focus on the writings, the information scribed down being rather important, after all, but his mind would not pay attention. Thoughts wandered and drifted through his mind, lingering for no more than a few seconds before fading back into nothingness. Sniffing lightly, Noctis scrunched his nose around, trying to keep himself awake.

Being rather bored, he twiddled his thumbs around each other aimlessly in his lap. The repetitive action was a double-edged sword. Making certain his thumbs kept moving helped to keep his mind from drifting off to sleep, but the monotonous nature of the task would nearly lull him off to slumber. Whether it was keeping him awake or putting him to sleep, watching his twiddling thumbs was still much more interesting than the tedious notes before him.

Voices did reach his ears, becoming more of a background drone than anything coherent. They were discussing the scheduled meeting that had been laid out on the paper. Having tuned everything out right at the start, Noctis was not even aware of what the main topic of the meeting was about. There had been larger text on some of the pages, but he had not read even them. It was becoming an unwanted habit of his—tuning out and not paying much of any attention during these meetings—and such a poor one for a Prince to have contracted.

Doing so had not been his intent at all, but he simply could not help it. Focusing on recent meetings had been too much for him of late. The action of twiddling his thumbs was all he could do to keep some semblance of his mind paying attention to his surroundings. Sleep's siren calls were becoming all too enticing. But it was because of that sleep that he was as tired and weary as he was now.

As of late, his dreams had begun to unsettle him. They were not at all like the nightmares that had plagued him back when their Crystal had been shattered, but were rather of a new league. There was no calling out for help, yet he could tell something was not right while in the land of slumber. Perfectly fine dreams would morph into something morbid. Voices and faces of unknown people came to haunt him, their peaceful expressions soon becoming twisted and contorted in torment. Other times, he would simply wake after having fallen asleep and felt like he had gotten no rest at all. And so, most of the days now, he was tired, his mind wanting to drift back into sleep to become fully rested, yet it also feared what may be lying in wait.

Head jerking forward, Noctis blinked a couple times. Shifting in his seat, the Prince forced his eyes open wider so that he would temporarily remain awake. As much as he did not mind paying attention during the meeting, actually falling asleep would be a terrible action to commit in front of the Councilmen and the King of Lucis. Before returning to twiddling his thumbs, Noctis glanced at the folder before him. Just as he had expected. This meeting was seeking to further relationships with the other kingdoms.

Noctis made a small noise under his breath and leaned back in his chair, once more twiddling his thumb in attempts to keep himself awake. Relationships were what all the meetings of late had been about. With the cold war having ended, Lucis now sought to break free from its ancient withdrawn life and become more closely knit with its neighbours. However, tensions were still quite high. The cold war, having only ended a few months ago now, was still fresh on everybody's minds. A meager piece of paper that had been signed would not stop those who truly wished to bring harm on to others. Light steps had to be taken with great caution for any proceedings.

The twiddling of his thumbs ceased. Noctis let out a soft sigh. As slow and agonizingly painful political matters were now, he had to allow himself to trust in hope. After what had begun once nearly all the Crystals had been wiped from the face of the world had now finally come to an end. The cold war had ceased to be. People could now begin to live without fear. It would take time to completely forget that fear, but at least now they were all set upon that path. It...it was what he always wanted.

_"__What is it that you want from this journey?"_

A light smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before forming into a sombre frown. It felt like just yesterday he had been traveling with his friends and Niveus in order to restore their Crystal. What had started out as a (relatively) simple hunt for the shards became so much more. Though it had been about a year now since they had restored their Crystal, Noctis made certain to replay the events over and over in his mind. A hand of his crept up to the lifeless gem that hung beneath his clothes, brushing past it before inconspicuously reaching up to brush some of his hair to the side. Their Crystal may have been restored, but he had not once seen or heard from Niveus since they had departed from the Underworld.

His frown deepened. It concerned him that she had not once shown herself since their return to Lucis, but he really did not know what to expect, and whether or not it could be considered normal. Though now he had some more insight into the Crystals and their fal'Cie, there was still much he did not know about them. Just how much information had been lost from before the Crystal Age, he could not say. "A lot" felt like an understatement. Noctis tried to push the worrisome thoughts from his head. There was no use in fretting over such things. He had to trust that Niveus would be capable of showing herself again when able. However, if she only appeared in times of great need, then a part of him wished he would never see her again outside his dreams.

"Prince Noctis, what do you think?"

Head snapping up, Noctis's hands froze on his lap, his entire body ceasing to move as though he was prey caught in the sight of a predator. Mind reeling, he tried to recall just what the conversation had been for the past few moments. Eyes flickered down to the papers before him, then glanced to the next closest folder to make sure he truly was on the correct pages. The large font before him held the names of neighbouring kingdoms. Relationships had been what this meeting was about, after all. But he had no time to read the finer print to be able to learn of the details that he should have already made himself privy to prior to the meeting.

Nothing but a blank response came to his thoughts when he tried to remember what the Councilmen had been discussing. The low drone of their voices had gone in one ear and out the other. Nothing of the meeting had stuck with Noctis. All the chatter and discussions had sounded the same to him, the same as any other meeting he attended with the Councilmen. He was not entirely sure how he would get himself out of this embarrassing situation. Not only was it embarrassing for him, but the shadow of that stigma would also fall upon his family, upon his father. Something would have to be said.

Shifting in his seat to sit a bit taller, Noctis switched his gaze to the one who had asked the question. Dark hair that was beginning to grey framed the long face that was somewhat akin to Noctis'. The eyes that bored into the Prince's, however, were not like his own. But the family resemblance was still clear between Noctis and Morior Caelum, brother to King Regis, and thus Noctis' uncle.

Morior's addition to the Councilmen had been a recent change. The previous Councilman had retired. Rumor had it that he had not liked the changes being made as Lucis strove to pull itself from the reclusive shadows and seek better relations with their neighbours. Many people, especially in the older generations, were rather set in their old ways. Noctis did not exactly approve of holding onto tradition for merely tradition's sake alone, but there was little he could do about such things as only the Prince. For whatever reason the previous Councilman had left, Morior was appointed to the open seat. With his work in public relationships already, it had been a decent choice to select him for the open seat in the times of growing change.

However, that did not mean Noctis needed to personally enjoy the choice. A light scowl crossing his face, Noctis eyed his uncle. The older man returned the Prince's gaze. It was clear Morior had noticed Noctis had been paying little to no attention, and thus had put the Prince on the spot. Getting asked a question from anyone else other than his father was always rare. Despite being a part of the meetings, and the heir to the throne, the Councilmen never much sought for Noctis' opinion on anything. It was like he was not even attending the meetings. Yet still he came to spite them as much as it was his duty, not out of any desire on his own his own part.

Clearing his throat, Noctis brought an answer to the tip of his tongue. With still being unable to recall anything about the discussion prior, he would have to do his best with a very vague and general response: "As long as what is best for Lucis, its people, and the Crystal is kept in mind, almost any course of action we take now would be better than sitting here and doing nothing." It took much more effort than he would have liked to keep his face straight. As generic as his response had been, and could cover a whole myriad of possible topics, there was still a chance he had missed the mark completely and had made a fool of himself.

For what felt like minutes, Morior merely stared at Noctis, as did the others in the Council Room. For such a simple and blank gaze, it certainly felt so judging. Despite being a relative, Noctis felt little love or care towards his uncle. There had once been a time when the Prince could remember happier days with his uncle, with all of his family, for that matter, but all of that had gone away after his mother's death. It really was such a shame that he did not have better connections with the remaining blood relatives he had, but Noctis never much let his mind linger on such thoughts. Thankfully, Morior then spoke, keeping the Prince from having to worry much further.

"So...you are saying building an alliance with Tenebrae would be the right course of action to now take?"

Noctis blinked and glanced back down to the papers before him. Tenebrae was on the short list of kingdoms, followed by information that he did not have time to read at that moment. Like Lucis, Tenebrae was also a small kingdom, and one of the older ones that still existed. Beyond that, Noctis actually did not know much about it. The cold war having already been in place for many long years when he was born, there was little he knew about any of the other kingdoms due to the heightened tensions that still had yet to go away. At this time, making an alliance with Tenebrae seemed as good as any possible option, especially since there was no record of any marauders from that kingdom having tried to steal their Crystal.

Trying to get his derailed mind back on track, Noctis glanced around the Council Room. It was the look the King was giving him that helped to get what thoughts he had in order. All his upbringing had not been for nothing. "At this time, any new alliance would be better than none. As much as the other kingdoms disliked each other during the cold war, they all disliked and distrusted us for having the last Crystal. If we are going to make it through this time of change, then we must change with it. An alliance will help us make sure that we are not left out of the loop."

"Surely there must be better options than Tenebrae!" countered one of the other Councilmen. "That old kingdom does nothing but lie in wait in the darkness. There's no telling what an alliance with them would entail."

"If you can think of a better choice, then name it now," ordered the strong voice of King Regis. "As Prince Noctis pointed out, all of the other kingdoms disliked us most during the cold war for holding the last Crystal. Marauders were sent from these kingdoms to steal it, or worse, destroy it. Unofficially, of course, but it was not hard to see past the weak veil of anonymity. Creon was actually the only one in our records that had sought the Crystal on his own, and not for one of the kingdoms. And yet, as far as we know, Tenebrae is the only kingdom that has not tried to harm our Crystal in any way. That, to me, is worth taking as a good sign."

"But if we make an alliance with them, Tenebrae could end up betraying us and taking the Crystal as their own," warned one of the Councilmen.

Folding his hands together, Regis nodded solemnly. "That is a risk, yes. But that is a risk we'd have to take with any of the kingdoms. Tenebrae is a fairly small kingdom. I think it would be best to form an alliance with them now before they're swallowed up by one of the others. Together, we can form a more united front to play on even ground with the other kingdoms. These are uncertain times for us, for all of us. We will still proceed slowly and with caution, no matter how promising the outlook may be."

"So, it is decided then? We will seek to form an alliance with Tenebrae?"

Regis reached forward and firmly closed his folder, and brought an end to the meeting as well. "Yes. I will reach out to initiate negotiations as soon as possible. Morior, I will be needing your assistance in this matter."

The younger brother nodded to the elder. "Of course, your highness. Shall I draft some rough letters to start?"

"That would do just fine." The King rose, everyone following suit. "As for the rest of you, that concludes this meeting. Thank you for your time." All their bowed their heads respectfully to the King. Standing tall, Regis was first to leave the Council Room, the other men only filing out once the King had complete taken his leave. None turned back to take one last glance at the Prince; it was like he was no longer there.

Sighing, Noctis slumped back down in his chair. Every fiber in his being felt heavy. Deep-blue eyes glanced up towards the ceiling, attempting to study the room he had come to despise over the years. Nothing good every came to him thanks to this room. Though the design was simply black and white inside the Council Room, shades of grey were always present thanks to the conferences and meetings that were held inside. His gaze shifted to the female statues that stood high on the walls, forever watching, and often judging, Noctis believed, everything that took place below them.

How many secrets did they keep hidden behind their lifeless onyx eyes? Noctis stared at them, as though looking at them long enough would get them to reveal their ancient knowledge. Yet still they remained silent. Their unmoving forms still motionless and unwavering under his stern gaze.

"How many mistakes have we made?" he asked to the voiceless statues that could only listen and never respond, adding his secrets to all the countless others that they held. "How many times have we chosen the wrong path to follow?" His expression grimmer than he would have liked, Noctis looked back down to his copy of the meeting's agenda that was still on the table. With a light huff, he roughly closed the folder, not caring to learn about what it had to say about the other kingdoms at the moment.

It was not just the recent history of Lucis he referred to, nor even just back to the Crystal Age and all the horrid choices that had been made at the end of that era. With having gained some insight into their distant past, back when The Light was used against the creators of the Crystals, the fal'Cie, he could not help but wonder now how different life could be if things had gone differently.

Noctis pursed his lips together in wait while staring at the statues that refused to meet his eyes. Eventually, a soft scoff escaped him as he finally rose once again from his chair. Taking his leave of the Council Room, Noctis shot one last glance at the statues. "I would have said the same thing."

Movements sluggish, for he was still rather tired, the Prince made his way out of the halls. Unlike the Council Room, these halls were rather dark. No longer did they have the same sterile feel as the previous room that sent chills crawling up his spine. The halls were actually gloomy, as though they held no room for laughter or smiles from all of the history of Lucis. But one shred of joy managed to sneak in when Noctis saw one of his friends walking towards him. Stacks of paper in hand, Ignis strode through the hall, blinking in surprise when his eyes fell upon the Prince.

"The meeting's over?" questioned his bespectacled friend.

Noctis huffed and rolled his eyes. "You mean that gathering of old farts so they can argue and only have the King there to reel them in?"

Ignis nodded halfheartedly. "Something like that."

"Only Morior really provides any useful council during this time, and even then that feels...minimal." Noctis let out a indignant sigh.

"Was the choice taken to make an alliance with Tenebrae?"

"In the end, that was—wait, how'd _you_ know about that already?" Brow furrowing, the Prince stared questioningly at his friend. Matters that were decided upon during a meeting often took at least a little time to be completely worked out and sent as updates to the rest of those that worked for the royal family and Lucis.

A light playful shrug was all Noctis got for a response at first. Ignis smirked knowingly at the Prince. "Unlike some people, I actually am up-to-date on matters concerning our home."

Embarrassed, Noctis could only glance away. It was true, he had been slacking off with his duties. Thoughts had been wandering off on their own, not lingering enough for Noctis to make heads or tales of them. As important as it was to have the best interests of his people and his home at heart, there was little room even for them now. It was troubling for him. Had Morior not brought Noctis out from his dazed state during the meeting, he wondered if even he would have known the outcome of matters that had been chosen. Attempting to laugh it off, Noctis returned the smirk to his friend.

"You are definitely becoming one of the Councilmen when I become King."

"Now who ever told you I even want that job?"

Noctis blinked. He had never really thought of such an outcome. The idea of Ignis not being by his side for help when he became King seemed impossible. His bespectacled friend had always been there for him whenever he required help, be it work-related or other. He had simply assumed Ignis would continue to be there, like he always had been.

Ignis was able to pick up on Noctis' mood that had shifted to a troubled state. "I'm _kidding_, Noct. But I'm afraid I do have work to do now."

"Oh, yeah. Of course. See you around?"

Ignis nodded firmly. "Take it easy. And actually try to brush up on what we know of Tenebrae before heading into negotiations with them."

A scoff escaped the Prince. "I highly doubt that the King will have me play any important role in the negotiations. I'll just be there to save face if anything, and to learn more for later."

"Don't be so certain just yet, Noct. These are times of change. As the one who will have to live with all choices made further down the road, it would be impervious that you are made a larger part of these negotiations. Just...be cautious and observant. And pay some attention for once, all right?" Ignis did not leave Noctis time to respond before continuing on his way down the hall, leaving the Prince on his own again.

With a heavy sigh, he returned to his own route out. As much as he disliked dealing with politics, Ignis was right. Making sure he was current with the changes being made was critical. He would be King some day. Fulfilling his duty now as Prince was just as important as fulfilling his role as King in the future.

"What has been troubling you of late, Prince Noctis?" Nearly jumping, Noctis spun around and readied himself to bring forth his sword, despite being in a safe haven. Even when he would be completely alone, Noctis found himself randomly summoning forth one of his weapons, just to make sure the Crystal's power still answered his call. It was a small gesture that gave him great amounts of reassurance. But his worry had been for naught at the moment, for the person who had called out to him was none other than his father, the current King of Lucis.

"Troubling me, my liege?" Noctis responded automatically. Even now, he was still formal with his father. Matters between them had only been patched up minimally, and temporarily at that. In the end, Regis was still a distant father figure at best for his son. He was just someone from which Noctis learned what his role in life would be.

"Councilman Morior wasn't the only one to notice you nearly dozing off during the meeting. And this hasn't been the first time, either. What's wrong, Noctis?"

The Prince held back a sigh as he cast his eyes to the floor. His father was deciding to show a glimpse of concern now of all times? Was it even actually concern for Noctis, or was Regis merely worried for how Lucis would be perceived by others if its Prince was nodding off during meetings and not taking duties seriously. Whatever the exact reason behind it, Regis was still asking.

After glancing back up, Noctis explained about his troubling dreams to the King. How pleasant nights were ruined when the faces began to plague him. Their unfamiliar voices unsettled him, some almost sounding like he should know them, but could not place the names. It troubled him, more so than just being unable to get a good night's rest. There was no way these dreams could be normal.

Regis eyed Noctis, analyzing all he had said. When the Prince fell silent, he felt like a little child again who was talking about ridiculous monsters that were hiding under the bed. No matter how old he became, whenever Noctis dealt with his father, told the King anything or tried to have a short conversation with the man, he always felt like a foolish kid again.

"How long have you had these dreams?" questioned the King.

Noctis pursed his lips together, trying to recall when the restless sleep had begun. The faces felt like they had always been there, lingering in the shadows, only now deciding to show themselves. "Several months now, actually," answered the Prince when he realized just how long it had been. It still seemed like it had begun only yesterday. Nights melded together when he had his sleepless dreams.

"Have they been getting worse?"

"No... They're different from each other in their own way, but I don't think they've really been getting any worse."

Lips thinned as Regis nodded lightly. "Try to sleep when you can, then. And if it worsens, make sure to let me know."

Noctis could only purse his mouth together in slight annoyance. That had not exactly been the aid he had hoped to get. However, he supposed there was not much else his father could do. It was not some sleep disorder that could be remedied with medication; these dreams were different. The only way he could even begin to consider to rid his mind of them was to find the source of the problem and eradicate it. Without know what, or how to find the source, that would be very difficult to achieve.

"Of course. Is that all, my liege?"

Perhaps it was his dreary state, but Noctis swore he saw Regis smirking slightly. "Make sure to bring yourself up to speed on what we know of Tenebrae. There will be much for you to do when negotiations begin."

It took a lot of willpower to keep himself from groaning. "Certainly." Noctis was not looking forward to all the extra political duties he would be given during these negotiations. But such was his life. It was high time he actually started paying a little more respect to his royal duties. Parting from his father, for he still did not enjoy lingering in the King's presence for longer than necessary, Noctis picked up his pace as he exited the building.

Evening light began to shine down upon Lucis, throwing everything into a cascade of ethereal glows. Slowly, Noctis made his way down the flight of steps, craning his head back so he could enjoy the sight of his home. Ever since their Crystal shattered, and the journey to restore it came to an end, he appreciated the wondrous marvel that was Lucis. They had been shown a glimpse at a bleak future—a future without their eternal guardian. A future that had been felt by all the other kingdoms, but not Lucis. And it had been a frightening path to begin down.

It did show them a new light that they had to see: if not for entering more serious negotiations with other kingdoms, they would have crumbled all the sooner. Because of that series of events, they were now sent upon their current route for Lucis's future. Even now, Noctis was uncertain whether it was the correct one or not, but risks had to be taken to help ensure their kingdom's fate.

"Yo, Noct!" called out a voice from a distance. Blinking, Noctis was drawn from his wandering thoughts of their city in the evening light. He glanced further down the steps and saw one of his other friends. The remaining distance between the two was erased as Prompto came rushing up. Wind was knocked out of Noctis when his blond friend clamped him wholeheartedly on his back. Rubbing the area, the Prince raised his free hand in greeting to Prompto. "You done for the day?"

Noctis cocked his head and sighed. "Technically. But there's something I want to take a look at before heading to the Record Hall and finding out what I can on Tenebrae."

Prompto blinked. His smile faltering, the blond backed up a cautious step."Who are you and what have you done with Noctis?" The dark-haired Prince stared back at his friend who had a rare serious expression plastered across his face. "Noct would never willingly do his work as a Prince."

A louder snort than he had intended to make escaped Noctis. "I know, I know. I must be sick." Scoffing lightly, Noctis glanced back up to the skyline of Lucis. In his life as Prince, he had rarely ventured outside of his city, the most he ever saw actually being from their journey to restore the Crystal the previous year. He had never been to Tenebrae. Part of him wondered what it looked like—just how different was it from their home? That alone was worth looking into and being a part of the future negotiations. With a sigh, he looked back to his friend. "Anyway, what're you doing here?"

"Just came to visit Ignis for a bit—didn't know when you'd be done or I'd've waited for you too. But now I gotta wait for Gladiolus! He should be here in just a sec. Where were you headed now, anyway? Need a ride?"

"Well..." Before Noctis was given a chance to finish, a car pulled up to a stop at the side of the road. Even he recognized the vehicle.

"Aha! What timing! C'mon, Noct!" Before he was given a chance to decline or say anything else, Noctis was dragged along by his hand towards the dark car. Prompto was swift in opening the back door, shoving Noctis inside, and then moving to the front passenger seat. Had he not known it was his friends, the Prince would have believed he was being kidnapped. Having already gone through that ordeal once, he did not much care to experience it again.

"Noct, you coming along too?" questioned Gladiolus from the driver's seat.

"Uh..."

"Nah, he's got his own plans," answered Prompto when Noctis proved to be too slow. He barely had time to buckle up his seat belt before his scarred friend pulled the car back into drive.

"Oh? Where're you headed then?"

Noctis was silent for a moment, casting his gaze down before staring out the window to the buildings that began to zip by. He could lie. He could tell them a different location and then continue on to his true destination on his own. With his teleportation ability fully back as well, doing so would certainly be easy enough of a task. But then he would have to worry about thinking of a reason why he wanted to visit the false location, and possibly keep up the lie for later. In the end, it felt like too much, and too akin to his work in politics, for him to be bothered with it. "To the Temple."

"The Temple?" There was a frown in Gladiolus' voice, one that Noctis did not care to see. He continued to stare out the window. "You know that won't—"

"I know!" Snapped Noctis, a fair bit harsher than he had intended. He sighed. "I know..." His hand grazed the necklace that was still hidden under his shirt. That small gem was were her memories truly lay. Even so, he still visited the Temple, waiting to hear any sort of response from her again. And, at the very least, to keep her lonesome life inside the Temple some company.

"How often do you visit there?"

Noctis scrunched his nose slightly, annoyed that they would worry over such a small detail. "No more than usual, really." As a Protector, as a l'Cie, it still was part of his duty to keep the Crystal safe. Seeking to change topics quickly, Noctis eyed his friends in the front seats. "What was it you two had planned?"

There was silence. Noctis arched his eyebrow in wait for a response.

"You didn't tell him yet?" questioned Gladiolus.

Prompto sighed. "Well, I was kinda hoping it would be a surprise!"

Concern grew for the Prince. Having surprises from his friends did not necessarily mean a good thing. "Surprise me with what?" he asked warily, feeling himself inch back into his seat more. Hopefully putting his abilities to the test again would not be needed.

Grinning from ear to ear, Prompto turned around as much as he could in his seat. "I'm gonna try out for the City Guard! Gladiolus was gonna do what he could to help me today."

Noctis could only blink. His blond friend was certainly excited, and seemed enthusiastic about his new plans, there was just one question that weaved its way to the front of Nictis' mind: "_Why_?"

After huffing lightly, Prompto turned right way around in his seat again. He crossed his arms. "With Ignis working for the royal family, and Gladiolus bound to get promoted to a Royal Guard some day soon, I feel...well...basically left out."

A sad smile touched Noctis' lips in agreement. The older they got, the harder it was so see each other so often. Granted, they would all still hang out together when their schedules allowed it, but that was becoming a rare event itself due to Noctis' busy hours these days. Ignis, he would catch for a few moments in the halls most days. Gladiolus, he would often get a chance to talk to when their duties lined up. Prompto... His oldest friend was now the one he got to spend the least amount of time with. Joining the City Guard would change that, however...

"Please don't make this decision on that point alone," warned Noctis. As much as he would enjoy seeing Prompto more, assuming the blond would make it past training and be allowed in the ranks, joining the City Guard was not a decision to be made so carelessly.

From the front, Prompto waved his hand to dismiss Noctis' concern. "_Naaaah_. I've been thinking about this for a while now, not too long after the Crystal shattered last year, actually. I just want to help more, y'know?"

A loud scoff came from Gladiolus. "And what help could a scrawny guy like you bring?" he mocked.

"Hey! I'm a pretty damn good sharp-shooter and you know it!"

Laughing loudly, Gladiolus claimed his victory in succeeding to irritate Prompto. From the back, Noctis grinned in amusement. Being with his friends always took away the pressure of his royal life. Silence fell over them, soon being replaced by the radio being turned on. Noctis did not bother listening to it much. The broadcast was just more news on how the cold war was over, and that the people wondered where Lucis was headed now. Even as Prince, Noctis did not know the answer to that speculation just yet. He would soon, though.

The drive ended sooner than it should have. Calling out to Gladiolus, Noctis got his friend to stop a fair distance away from the Temple. It was here he departed from his friends. Only once the car took off and was completely gone from sight did Noctis set his gaze back to the Temple. Closing his eyes, he summoned forth the power of the Crystal that flowed through him and whisked himself through the air. Ground slipped out from beneath his feet, his teleportation ability moving his body almost instantaneously from one place to another. A flash of light and small fragments that looked like pale crystals danced before his eyes as he landed softly on the inside of the Temple. Noctis peered out the window, making sure no one had noticed his silent approach before setting his sights on what hung at the center of the room:

The Crystal of Lucis.

Save for special ceremonies, the room which house the Crystal itself remained empty of life. Not even guards were allowed in unless their was an emergency. Noctis exploited this security detail, that had been in place long before he was even born, to allow for moments of peace and quiet when he came here. It had been an old habit of his, to come here when a moment to himself was needed. Though he knew before the Crystal would not answer, it comforted him to talk about such concerning matters that he could not bring up with his family, or even his friends. It quietly listened when others could not.

Slowly walking forward, Noctis neared the Crystal that glowed vigorously with life. Such emanating light was always a good sign. He stared at it in silent greeting, waiting to see if today would be the day when he finally heard her voice again. But, just like for all the previous years that had gone by, the Crystal did not call out to him with comprehensible words. With a sigh, he sat down in the spot he had unknowingly claimed for himself. Propping his chin on the back of his hand, he watched the Crystal go on about its routine of helping to power all of Lucis.

Eventually, he asked, "What would you say about all of this?" The path they were taking now for the future of Lucis concerned the Crystal as well. Frowning thoughtfully, he gave a longer than usual pause, waiting for any answer or response. Even now, nothing. Nothing changed. Eventually, he was satisfied that no answer would be given. Noctis gave a wry chuckle, casting his gaze down. "Probably not much."

* * *

**A/N:** There you have it. A slower start compared to how LC went. My attempt at politics will be playing a larger role in the start of the story, but "adventure" will come down the road. And for readers of LC, yes, Niveus will be in this story more so than just being mentioned, so don't fret! If you were fretting. And yes, with Tenebrae mentioned, we all should know who will also be appearing in this story. And while still focused much on Noctis at the moment, his friends and other characters will be getting much more "screen time" in this.

A cookie to anyone who is able to figure out just who "he" was at the start of the chapter. Yes, he is in the FNC lore, and that is all I will say on that for now.

Please be (extremely) patient with updates for now! That being said, I do hope you enjoyed the start of Aeternus Somnus!


	2. City of The Light

**A/N:** Surprise! Remember this story? Well, with E3 having arrived, I wanted to write another chapter. So that, whatever happens this E3, at least you get some more of this fic. This chapter gave me more trouble than I would have liked, but I really need to get the story rolling, even if it's still in its revving state. Enjoy!

* * *

II

_City of The Light_

"...Octis. Prince Noctis. ...Prince Noctis!"

His mind still foggy for having been pulled from a dream—though he did not mind escaping that realm with those unknown faces passing in front of his vision—Noctis opened his heavy eyelids and managed to tilt his head up that had been nearly resting on his shoulder. Falling asleep while seated was becoming a far too easy task for him. Yet, despite all the times that he now found himself drifting off during the day, the Prince always felt so tired. He sniffed and tried his best to gather his thoughts.

A part of him thought he was back in some other meeting, that he had dozed off and was about to be scolded again. Mentally preparing himself for a lashing, Noctis winced lightly and looked around. He was in no meeting. There were no other members of Council around, nor even his father. He was in a car, with a highway and the city beyond rolling by. He blinked several times, trying to recall where it was that he was headed, and looked up.

From where he sat, he could see the driver reflected in the rear-view mirror. Pale-blue eyes studied him for a moment, before the driver returned to watching the road. Through the front window, the Prince could make out another dark car, and beyond that, the border crossing. The landscape around them slowed to a crawl as the vehicles neared the crossing.

"Enjoy your beauty sleep?" asked the driver, Mr. Iter. The elder man was the one often assigned to escorting the Prince on official business, and had reached the level of being able to talk rather casually with the heir.

Noctis snorted lightly, shifting his gaze to look out his window instead. Other people had their barbers that they could talk to and tell anything, Noctis, on the other hand, had his driver. In the car for a drive, he did not have to worry about prying eyes or listening ears. He was alone, with no one else but a kind, yet stern, soul who managed to help ease his troubles.

"Hardly," responded the Prince, shifting in his seat. His suit felt unbelievably tight now, like it was slowly suffocating him. Usually, that was not the case, as he was rather accustomed to the suit, but the reason behind wearing it this time made him all the more uncomfortable. "Having all those faces stare at you and then turn into a nightmare themselves is not a peaceful dream..." He sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. "I really don't know what to do about this."

"Well, whatever you do, don't fall asleep during anything important while there. Sleep more now, if you need to. Get it all out of your system."

A wry laugh slipped past Noctis' lips as he glanced back to the rear-view mirror. He knew it. Mr. Iter was grinning. "That the only advice you can give now? Not exactly the most useful."

Mr. Iter shrugged. "I'm afraid that's all I have left, young Prince. I've used up everything else for you already."

Silence fell as they made their way through the crossing. Noctis sunk back in his seat, putting on an emotionless mask for the guards that checked inside the car. In that time, his thoughts lingered on his driver's words. Since having shared his troubles, Noctis had received a fair amount of help from Mr. Iter, with a hefty share of wise-cracks as well, but even they sometimes helped to lift his mood.

"It's time that you face the possibility that, for whatever reason," continued the driver once they were past the crossing, "you may be stuck with these dreams of yours for a while longer. You must work around them to the best of your abilities. Sleep, rest, nap, whenever you can. Stay awake for important sessions, which, I'm afraid, will only lengthen as your duties increase."

Noctis found himself grimacing. "Well... Good thing I already enjoyed taking naps." Mr. Iter chuckled, but the Prince could not. Even when he did have a moment to himself for resting, he felt no more refreshed after than he did before. It was frustrating, more so than the last time nightmares plagued him. When that had happened, he knew the reason behind it: the Crystal's shattering. Once it was restored, the nightmares went away. Now, however, he did not know the cause, and could not find a way to make them stop.

"Then get some more rest, Prince Noctis. It's a long trip. I'll wake you when we arrive at Tenebrae."

* * *

"Prince Noctis, we've arrived."

Having not been fully asleep, yet still in a groggy state, Noctis had to rub his eyes for a moment before he could see clearly. Clearing his throat, the Prince sat up straighter in his seat and looked out his window again. He had expected to see tall buildings slipping by, but it was only hillsides and rivers. Brow knotting together, he looked up to the rear view mirror and Mr. Iter's reflection in it. Noctis could only frown. He thought that he would have been woken up once they were in Tenebrae, not still out in the country.

"It's just up ahead, sir. This is your first time here, correct?"

"Yeah." Lucis had always been a reclusive kingdom. Travelling to other kingdoms was a rare event, especially during the cold war. It had only been last year, when their Crystal shattered, did he get to see the world around him in all of its wonder. Tenebrae, however, was one of the many other places that he had not visited.

"Well, take a look, young Prince! It's right there."

Leaning forward in his seat, Noctis peered through the front window and felt his jaw hang open. Beyond the car in front was a city rising over the horizon. For all his life, even after having travelled far to the east, and the moon itself, Lucis had always been his favourite city. Others were grand, and breathtaking, yes, but he still liked his home best. Granted, he would not hesitate to admit his bias.

Though it was named Tenebrae (the capital was named the same as the kingdom), it did not look dark at all. Quite the contrary, the city was pristine and rather, especially in the fading light as evening settled in. Not so much from city lights, but just from the buildings themselves. That and... Noctis felt himself frown as he sank into his seat.

There was The Light.

A few glimpses of it hung above the city before slipping through the invisible gates that led to the Underworld. He sighed and cast his gaze down, not wanting to be reminded of all that had occurred last year because of it at this time. The Light itself was not to blame, that he knew now, but that did not mean he had to watch, nor enjoy it, every time that he saw the hauntingly beautiful display. When he looked up again, it was gone, and he could instead focus on Tenebrae once again.

Noctis felt himself gaping at the architecture as they rolled into the city, buildings soon filling the entirety of his view. They were not extremely tall buildings, not like some of the skyscrapers back in Lucis where he would steal away to a distant rooftop when he needed time to himself, but that did not make them any less grand.

Clearing his throat, Noctis shifted in his seat, somewhat uncomfortably. It was his first time in a different city since the shattering of their Crystal. And now he was finally in another, only it was for the political game into which he was born. In the end, it was still for the safety and prosperity of his people, of his home. Tugging at the collar of his shirt, he tried to take solace in that thought; it was all that was keeping him going

Traffic became heavier as they made their way through the streets. In his seat, Noctis tried his hardest to simply enjoy the city and not think about what was to come, but that truth was thrown back into his face when the palace of Tenebrae rolled into view. He stopped his gawking, righted in his seat, largely to look proper for the press that was around, and prepared for what was to come.

After making it past the gates, down the long driveway lined with gardens, and stopping at the far end of the roundabout, the car finally came to a halt.

"Good luck in there," commented Mr. Iter.

"Thanks," muttered Noctis, before swallowing his nerves away. The car door was opened for him, and the full force of the crowd gathered as close as they could get hit him. He had not suspected that their visit to Tenebrae would be such a public event. He inwardly grimaced while forcing a brief smile at the crowd with a wave thrown in. Showing a good face for all of Lucis was in his best interest.

Noctis joined his father's side, and they waited at the front of the palace. The wait was not long. Atop the flight of stairs lined by guards was a tall man with short, silver hair. A younger man, appearing not much older than Noctis, also stood there, hands neatly held behind his back. At his own pace, the elderly man descended the steps, the younger man following, with even his gait capable of showing that he was royalty, and held out a hand.

"King Regis. It is both an honour and a pleasure to have you visit Tenebrae. I hope you find your stay most welcoming."

"The honour is ours, King Viduo. I hope that we may one day repay your hospitality when you visit Lucis."

"I'll make certain of it." The King of Tenebrae laughed before clapping Regis on the shoulder like old friends. "Ah, and this must be Prince Noctis."

"I am, your highness." Noctis was momentarily taken aback when the King of Tenebrae shook his hand as well. He had done some reading on King Viduo Fleuret, but he had not expected the man to be so...boisterous in person. In his teachings, Noctis had been told to act a certain way as Prince. Granted, he would eagerly throw those aside when just with his friends, and use them more as guidelines than strict rules, but he did try to keep that air about him when dealing with political matters, especially when dealing with the Councilmen (minus the dozing off that had been plaguing him of late). Seeing a King act as such, especially with press around, no less, was different, to say the least. "Thank you for inviting us to Tenebrae," he added, after a brief pause.

"This is my son, Avarus." The Prince of Tenebrae greeted those from Lucis in turn. His blond hair nearly shone in the sun, and he had a pair of pale-green eyes that matched the king's. Compared to his father, he had a rather emotionless expression, and seemed content to remain more silent than Noctis. "I must apologize, though. My daughter should have been here to greet you as well, but something unexpected came up at work that she could not avoid."

"Oh? What work, may I ask?" questioned Regis while Noctis was far too happy to remain silent.

"Research. Hopefully she'll be able to tell you about it over the weekend. But come now, let us leave the formalities for later. I'm sure you're tired after your trip. Please, follow me."

* * *

Opening his window, Noctis peered at the night sky. There was not much to see in the heart of the city, due to all of the bright lights. He tried to look for stars, but could not find any—it being a little cloudy now did not help. Drumming his fingers against the windowsill, he shifted his gaze down to the city itself. From his current elevation while staying at the palace, much of the city stretched out before him, with only the odd other building blocking his view. Biting his lower lip, the young Prince glanced over his shoulder at his room one last time before confirming his decision.

Sleep would not do him any good right now. Taking a break instead would do him better. And so, that was what he did.

Grinning in delight, Noctis leaped from the window, and used his powers to make it past the palace ground. None of the guards were any wiser to his presence, thanks to the power that the Crystal had given him. Once he was far enough away, the young Prince ceased the silent display of his abilities and walked amongst the other inhabitants of Tenebrae like any other local. Donning his casual wear, and having combed down all of his hair, no one recognized him as the Prince that had just arrived earlier that evening.

It was his little task that he had taken upon himself, to learn more of the people of the kingdom through his own means. Reading up on files of a neighbouring kingdom could only teach him so much. And, as Ignis had pointed out to him at one point, did not really inform him on the real people. It was his hope to learn more about the people in just the one night than what he had from reading all those papers (though he had only really scanned them).

While it was nighttime, Tenebrae was still very much alive. People flooded in and out of various stores, shops, clubs, restaurants, and more. Noctis weaved through the crowds, silently observing. From this perspective, it felt a bit more like home, even if things did not quite look the same. People seemed friendly, albeit louder than those of Lucis. He continued on like this for a while, silently observing, and silently wishing at least one of his friends was with him, until he wandered off for some time alone just to enjoy the city and not worry about the people.

His feet took him to a bridge where he stopped. Here, over one of the rivers that flowed through the city, he could enjoy the reflection of all the lights. The noise was not too loud either. Cars were a mild drone in the background, and there was only the odd other footsteps of people passing by. With a sigh of content, he looked up, and frowned.

There was The Light again. Multiple displays of the haunting beauty shimmered in the sky. His frown deepened the more that he studied them, not having averted his gaze like the last time. Before they disappeared, one by one, those souls entering the Underworld, he could have sworn that they had been gathered over a specific section of the city. Noctis shook his head. Surely he was mistaken. Perhaps he had just been at the right angle to make them appear closer together. Having so many appear so close together did not—

"Can you see The Light?"

Startled, Noctis nearly jumped. So focused on The Light, he had not noticed the person who had quietly neared him. Clearing his throat, he tried to reclaim what was left of his composure to greet the person. He was met by a woman, of about his age, with blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders. Her short dress and frilled vest was well-suited to the warm evening. Noctis was nearly taken aback again when he noticed how hopeful and expectant her gaze was, all topped with a comforting smile.

"Y-yeah..." muttered the Prince. Mentally kicking himself, he cleared his throat to try again. Eyes quickly flashed back to the sky, but the display had since finished. "Yes," he re-answered. "I can see it. Sometimes."

Her face lit up. "Oh, really? That's wonderful. I thought I knew everyone who could see it, though." Noctis felt his face beginning to twist in confusion, and tried his hardest to stop it before it became obvious to the woman. Perhaps the people of Tenebrae treated The Light differently. Back home, it was discussed, yes, but not frequently. And those who could see it did not often come out and admit to it. Only Noctis' friends and family knew that he could see it; not even the Councilmen knew (there were speculations, of course, considering the horrendous nature of the accident).

"I'm not from here."

"That would explain it." The woman chuckled lightly. "Where are you from?"

"Atherna," Noctis quickly replied, having already decided upon the city should anyone happen to ask him that very question.

"My, that is a fair ways away!" She stepped up to the railing of the bridge and glanced to the sky, even though The Light was no longer there. "You know, we have a legend surrounding The Light. It's said that the Goddess Etro shall open the gate welcome the souls of the dead. When that occurs, a bright light shall shine down through the skies over the dead. And those few who see that light shall be bestowed with the strength from the land of the dead."

Noctis felt a shiver crawl up his spine, but not from any breeze, it was from memories resurfacing. "We have the same legend... But they're just bedtime stories. Nothing more." He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. It was not his intent to make anyone the wiser of the true nature of The Light, and the power it held. Having the knowledge of the Obruo resurfaced was bad enough. In the wrong hands, it could be disastrous, as the events from last year proved only all too well.

"But you can see it, too!" Frowning, the woman neared him, adamant in her view. "Surely you have some sense of the power that's behind it."

The young Prince shrugged and sought to put a few more steps back between himself and the woman. "I'm better off without it." And so did the world, the way he saw it. Maybe, someday, they would be able to use the power of The Light, the blessing from Etro, and the last gift from those who had passed into the Underworld, but not as long as people would misuse it with the slightest in

"And why not? Keeping it in the shadows will not help the matter. Learning about it is the only way to make it better."

"Maybe. Someday..." It was not The Light itself that troubled him, just how people could use it. Good intentions would only go so far before they were led astray.

"I'm sorry."

"What? No, no. No. There's no need to be sor—"

The woman smiled and chuckled, cutting him off with a shake of her head. "No. I mean, I'm sorry, for whatever happened that caused you to see the Light. It's never a good experience. No matter what we get from it, no matter what we make from it, it's like we still lose something."

"Yeah..." Noctis sighed, casting his gaze down to the river. "It...it was pretty bad..." Remembering that night was never pleasant. Though it had happened over a decade ago, it still felt too close for comfort. The night that he lost his mother. The night that he first entered the Underworld, not knowing whether or not he would return. "I'm sorry, for you, too," he added, dipping his head in apology to the woman.

"Thank you. Well, I'm afraid I must be off. It was a pleasure to meet you...?" she asked, holding out a hand politely.

Uh... Cid. Just Cid," replied Noctis, already having decided to use the skycaptain's name as his lest anyone recognize his own as the Prince of Lucis. He took her outstretched hand and shook it before it was left hanging in the air for too long.

"I'm Stella. I hope you enjoy your stay in Tenebrae. And don't let the shadow of The Light hang over you forever, all right?"

A wry chuckle slipped past his lips as he nodded his head. "Thanks. I'll keep it in mind."

"Good evening." With that said, Stella walked away, leaving Noctis alone at the bridge.

Remaining silent, Noctis mulled over the new information that he had received from Stella: Tenebrae could very well have plans for The Light, with how she spoke of it. How, exactly, this wold affect his view on the kingdom, he could not yet say.

* * *

"Stop fidgeting." At his father's words, Noctis felt himself straightening. "And no falling asleep." That made the young Prince choke lightly before the doors in front of them opened. This was their official meeting with the royal family of Tenebrae, and it would not make a good impression were he to doze off during their discussions.

A large table was the center of the room. Noctis was silently thankful that no one else was currently sitting at that table. This meeting was only between both royal families, no one else. The young Prince groaned inwardly. That meeting would occur on the following day, before they were to return to Lucis.

"Welcome. I trust you slept well?" greeted Viduo, coming to their side to guide them towards the table.

"Quite well, thank you."

"Good. Ah, yes. My son, you met. But my daughter..." Viduo stepped aside, and it was then Noctis took note of the other two people in the room. There was Avarus, that much he expected, but...

Noctis choked and manage to end his cough with only a single outburst rather than continuing on with an entire fit. Though she now wore a white dress, there was no mistaking the woman he had met the previous night.

Stella.

As she introduced herself to Regis, Noctis felt like shrinking back into a corner, but he managed to stand tall. Would she unveil his unwarranted night stroll? While he did not believe that his father would reprimand him too much under other circumstances, the nature of their visit was slightly more delicate than others. His mind reeled, trying frantically to come up with some explanation should the worst come to pass. It was much more difficult to come up with something that could seem remotely reasonable. Then again, what seemed reasonable to him may not seem reasonable to the others.

"Prince Noctis, is it?" asked Stella, her violet eyes almost weighing him. This was it. The young Prince silently grimaced, the wait of only a few seconds feeling like eternity. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you enjoyed your first night in Tenebrae."

That was it.

Their handshake was more of Noctis just numbly standing there and Stella shaking it politely. He could have sworn that she shot him a playful grin before everyone made their way to the chairs. For a brief moment, Noctis allowed himself a hidden grin. There was now some shimmer of hope in these meetings after all.

* * *

Several weeks had passed since the visit to Tenebrae. Negotiations were going well, although the mere thought of them could begin to give Noctis a headache. Despite the discomfort, it did made him hopeful for the future. And yet, the sight of those multiple occurrences of The Light did not sit well with him. Too many... He had never seen that many in a single month, let alone a single day. There had even been a few more over the course of that weekend, but not as much But totalling at nearly a dozen? Finishing his dinner with his father, the thoughts troubled him for a moment before rising. Meeting up with his friends before heading off for his shift guarding the Crystal would help to take his mind off of things.

"Noctis, a moment, if you will." Regis' voice carried its calm, and yet stern, tone. Hearing that when it was only directed at him always caused Noctis to swallow nervously. Licking his lips, he took back his seat and waited for his father to continue. The King fell silent, the only noise coming from the servants that cleared away the dinner table. It was an uncomfortable silence, one that made Noctis want to look around to find something, anything, to focus his attention and made the silence feel unimportant.

The seconds dragged on until the servants left. A low sigh escaped Noctis before he expectantly looked to his father. Even now, Regis remained silent. The young Prince swallowed nervously again. Though he had felt closer to his remaining parent in the past year than all the others after his mother's death combined, that did not stop Regis from acting more as a King around Noctis than a father.

"What do you think of the prospect with Tenebrae?" his father finally asked. He leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together.

"I—uh..." Noctis faltered, not having expected such talk at the dinner table. In fact, they rarely talked at dinner, but even then, it was never politics. It was one of the rules of his wife that Regis had upheld over the years: no political talk at dinner (unless it was deemed a matter of great importance). Pursing his lips together, Noctis gave the question serious thought. "I think... I think a future with Tenebrae is a hopeful one. Though the cold war has gone, tensions still haven't completely died down. Forging an alliance will help ease people further, and ensure that we're a part of that future, paving the way for the other kingdoms. But..."

"But what?"

Noctis cast his gaze down. Perhaps it was just that ever-present stigma that still made him wary, however, he could not shake the feeling of something looming behind him, readying to strike.

"It's The Light, dad," muttered Noctis, not wanting to hide his doubts any more. He glanced up to his father and saw the man tense. Mentioning The Light only refreshed the night of the accident in their memories. "I saw it there, multiple times. More times than I would like at any given time. I hope it was nothing—okay, so it was _something_, definitely—but ever since Creon dug up the past and found those machines that _used_ the power of The Light, I hate to think what someone else could do. Perhaps it was just coincidence that I saw all those signs of The Light while there, but...but I still don't like it..."

Silence settled back in. Regis held his hands tighter, looking off across the room. Noctis knew that expression all too well. His father was busy weighing options and outcomes, trying to pick the path that was best for Lucis to take. A silent sigh slipped from Noctis, for he could not think like that yet. It was not just his future, or the future of his friends, that he had to weigh, but the future of everyone in Lucis, the kingdom itself, and that of their Crystal.

"And, do you think, because of this, we should stop negotiations?"

Noctis suddenly felt the full weight of it fall on his shoulders. He was going to have to learn to deal with that weight, for it would not go away as time went by. "No..." he answered, and not as confidently as he would have liked. "Any kingdom that we enter negotiations with will bring doubt and concern. We're the last kingdom with a Crystal, after all. If not Tenebrae, it would only be one of the others. Considering everything else, Tenebrae is still one of the best choices, by far."

With that, Regis gave a silent nod of approval. Just seeing that made Noctis breathe easily again, and the weight felt somewhat lighter because of it.

Despite that small moment of reprieve, as Noctis said his good evening and took his leave, that lingering doubt would still not go away.

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter... First it was going to end one way, then another, and now finished with this.

Well, now we have Stella. And yeah, giving her a brother for reasons that come into play soon. Anyway, their meeting is meant to have been reminiscent of the trailer version, but I didn't want it 100% alike since this is an AU.

And yes, the driver is meant to be the one from the 2011 trailer. As is king Viduo is meant to look like the other man introduced in that trailer at the end (I can only hope that is meant to be Stella's father xD ). His eyes looked pale-green, at least to me and in that lighting from the scene. Hopefully it's not far off...

Anyway, that should be all. Hopefully the next update won't be in nearly a year from now. Though I'm still working out the finer points of the ending, the plot early on is fairly set. There'll be some more of my failed attempt at political stuff to come, but not for much longer. Please bear with me, and thank you for your patience.


	3. The Enemy's Enemy

**A/N:** Suuuuuprise again! Fast update! Mainly because this is a "short" chapter, for me anyway. The first several chapters will mostly continue being around this length until the major plot is revealed. I've been so pumped from the new info and trailers that I wanted to keep writing! Hopefully this will last for a while.

Anyway, a note to anyone who hasn't seen the update on chapter one. At this time, with the E3 2013 trailer, some names have been mentioned, aside from the official chang from Versus XIII to XV. Noctis' kingdom is Lucis, not Niflheim (I suspected as much, oh well). Noctis' father is Regis; I had him previously named Duilius. Stella's father, who I introduced as Regius (I laughed when I saw Noct's dad was Regis), is now renamed Viduo, so that there won't be Regis and Regius. Though his name will certainly change again when it's confirmed. My apologies for any confusion this may make, especially to my older readers!

Please, enjoy!

* * *

III

_The Enemy's Enemy_

_He hated searching. That was his brother's task. His was to only wait and watch, which was very different from actually going out and seeking for what he sought. And, as he found out through all of his failed attempts, he was not very good at it. It had been such a long time since he acted upon the information that he gathered._

_ Despite all of his years of silently watching, of remaining deep within the earth and feeling all that transpired on the surface, there was much he did not know. Granted, it was mostly concerning those annoying pests, and that made him frown in disgust more often then not, but information was information._

_ It amazed him what the annoying pests considered important in their short lives. Amongst the trivial matters, however, he learned of the recent wars that had wrought their pitiful lives. There had been Crystals, as they had been called, but they were not the same as those that had been connected to the others, to those that treated the annoying pests more as pets. These Crystals were a fragment from that horrible time, that time he nearly abandoned his watch from deep within the bowls to lend the assistance that he could muster. And yet, even though the annoying pests had destroyed the others and the creations that they had left behind, those frustrating insects went and destroyed the final shards._

_ That made him writhe with fury. Part of him had wanted to destroy the city that he had been in at the time of happening upon that information. The annoying pests were not worthy, continually contaminating the world and everything else in it with their cursed end. But he restrained himself, for that was not his task either._

_ After those events, he learned of the cold war that had enveloped the western continent. Even when not warring, it was fascinating how much the annoying pests could fight without actually starting battle. That cold war, which had manage to drag on for many years, a testament to the stubbornness of those annoying pests, in a way, had come to an end not long ago. In fact, it came to an end just after he had felt the Gates open. It made his searching much easier, now that the annoying pests were not butting heads, and yet he still could not find his sibling._

_ That took more of the searching that he did not enjoy. Everywhere. He searched everywhere. From the tallest peak to even down to the deepest part of the oceans (such a task was not hard for him). His brother was no where to be found. Since he had been given his task of searching, watching, waiting, from within the earth, he had not seen nor heard from his brother, who was charged with a different task._

_ Unlike him, his brother was well accustomed to searching, for that was the assigned task. Searching, seeking, discovering. From where he did all of that, the elder brother did not know._

_ He searched and searched, not his strong point, at all. Until, after far longer than he would have liked, he felt a trace of his brother. Of course. How could he have been so foolish? Much like he could watch from within his sanctuary hidden within the earth, neither did his brother have to be bound to the restrictions of the mortal world. And so it was there, in that unknown realm that lay between that of the living and that of the dead, that his brother searched._

_ "What is it?" asked a low voice, sounding almost tired. Not tired from not having received enough sleep, but tired from exhaustion from endless toil. He had done it. He had found his younger sibling. Together, they left the middle realm, after a fair amount of persuasion from the elder brother, and returned to that of the living for ease of discussion._

_ "Have you found anything yet?"_

_ "Not yet," sighed the younger. "Why? What's with that look? Have you found something?" The younger brother's face went through a range of expressions. First it was annoyance for having been drawn from his task, then it was confusion as his gaze narrowed skeptically, but it finally ended on realization of the weight of these events._

_ "Yes, Lindzei. The Gates... The Gates have opened." An elation of mad delight tingled through his body when he told his brother the news. Lindzei's mouth slowly fell open, as though the muscles holding his jaw closed had simply ceased to work, and his eyes widened to match._

_ "Are... Are you certain?"_

_ "Positive. Actually, I'm rather surprised that you did not notice."_

_ Lindzei huffed and flicked his wrist. "I'm not like you. I can't feel everything at once. Even in that realm, I can still only see so much at a time. I must have missed it. That is all." He eyes his elder brother with annoyance for a moment before the news sank back in. "This... Do you realize what this means, Pulse? It's time. It's finally time!"_

_ "Exactly." Even Pulse could hardly contain his glee. "It is time to find our father."_

* * *

The day was a dull, dreary one, acting as a blotch upon the recent streak of good weather. Everything was greyed out from the clouds, and damp from the scattered showers that had fallen throughout the day. From atop the roof, one of his old favourites, Noctis could see just how the city changed during a small storm. Off in the distance, nearing the horizon, he could see the large clouds that had passed over them only a few hours ago. From them clashed down lightning, striking the nearest target within their grasp before disappearing as fast as it had formed. So far away, Noctis barely heard the distant rumble of thunder after several long seconds once the lightning flashed.

A light drizzle reached him again, but he did not care whether or not he got soaked. It was actually relaxing to him. The light rain, which was thankfully warmer rather than colder, helped to ease his troubling thoughts.

"Up here again, huh, Noct?" asked a voice from behind. "Well, at least you're not sitting in front of the Crystal, I guess." At Gladiolus' comment, Noctis felt himself chuckle wryly. That had been the events of just the day before. It was comforting, almost therapeutic, to talk to the Crystal about what doubts that he may be feeling about the possible alliance with Tenebrae. The Prince remained where he was while his scarred friend joined his side by the edge of the roof. The taller man sighed and rested his arms against the ledge. "Say, has the Crystal... Has Niveus ever responded?"

Noctis' eyes glanced down, scanning the city until they fell upon the Temple that housed their ancient guardian. His hand also travelled up to brush the crystal necklace that he still wore hidden under his clothing That was the first time any of his friends had asked that particular question, or even any in the same vein. Ever since the Crystal was restored, they had been dying to ask it, he could see the question glinting behind their eyes and dancing behind their tongues, but, through all the long months, they had restrained themselves. In fact, Noctis was a little surprised it had been Gladiolus to ask first. Prompto had been his mental bet.

"No," answered Noctis, shaking his head. "Now and then, I try talking to her, about different things, but she never answers. Even when I use the power of the Crystal, there's...there's nothing different."

"Odd...don't you think?"

A snort of a laugh escaped Noctis. "I really don't know _what_ to make of it. Until last year, I didn't even know our Crystal was the remnant of a powerful fal'Cie, let alone that it contained a fragmented piece of her soul. I really don't know what to think of as normal or not around it anymore." He pursed his lips in frustrated confusion.

For as long as he could remember, he had thought that he had known their Crystal, had understood it, but now...he really knew nothing at all when it came to their ancient protector. Part of him wanted to travel back to Erebus, to see what else that forgotten fountain of knowledge in that ruined library held. Noctis cocked his head and glanced at the cloud-covered sky, and the moon that lay somewhere on the other side. Even if he were allowed to travel to Velens, would he be able to use the gateway to Erebus? It had only worked since Niveus had been with them. Would his powers alone be strong enough?

"Maybe she's just tired," chuckled Gladiolus, drawing Noctis from his thoughts before they rambled on even more. "It's not like she had that sort of journey every day."

Noctis glanced to his friend and grinned. "If that's the case, then I'm actually rather jealous."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean, c'mon, getting to rest for over a year now? That sounds quite nice, don't you think?"

Gladiolus' familiar laugh hung in the air. "Ahh, yeah. There are definitely times when I wish I could rest for a year. But I hope she doesn't keep on sleeping much longer. Make sure to be there when she wakes up, all right?"

The laughter that Noctis had felt slipped away. His eyes darted back to the Temple and the Crystal that lay within. With what his father had told him a year ago, he did not feel that to be possible. "She only showed herself to those she trusts the most during times of great need," was how the King had described it. "You really think that might happen?" questioned the Prince.

"I like to think so, anyway. Have fun explaining that one, though, if it happens."

Noctis grunted in discomfort when his friend clapped him on the back before laughing dryly. "Oh. Yeah. Sure. _Looooaaaads_ of fun explaining that to the Councilmen. I think I'd rather deal with the negotiations with Tenebrae for a year rather than do that."

"Be glad then that you don't have to handle security as well."

At his friend's obvious displeasure, the Prince could not help but smirk. "Having fun with that, are we?"

"Not one bit. Bad enough having to worry about the King and your sorry ass while here all the time, but having _two_ royal families for a weekend is not going to be fun. That, and it's all taking place in the last kingdom with a Crystal. If you ask me, even if things have been improving, it's still a recipe for disaster."

Noctis drummed his fingers against the ledge. When put like that, it did sound rather precarious. Even so, he shot his friend a flat stare. "Always nice to know how much you care about protecting my life," he sniffed disapprovingly in response.

"This coming from Mr. I-Can-Take-Care-of-Myself?" Likewise, Gladiolus stared down at the Prince, his stare also rather flat and unamused.

"Why do something yourself when you can have others do it?" Shrugging nonchalantly, Nocts flicked his collar and brushed off some beading water droplets from his shoulders.

"Okay, that's it!" The scarred man let out a laugh before reaching for Noctis.

"Nope!" Without hesitation, the dark-haired Prince used the power of the Crystal and shifted to a safe distance across the roof. Gladiolus was left there, stumbling forward a few steps like a fool while Noctis laughed.

"Cheater!" Though the scarred man pointed an accusing finger, there was no hiding his amused grin.

"C'mon. You should know better than that by now." Still chuckling, Noctis walked to join his friend who had started back towards the door on the roof.

"Yeah. I should have gotten more out of it when you couldn't use your powers."

A cheeky grin tugged at Noctis' lips and he held his head smugly. "Oh well. Missed your chance."

"Bet you wish you could just teleport away from your duties tomorrow, though."

That shot down Noctis' smug look in one blow. Slouching instead now, he inwardly groaned. "All too much..."

"Well, at least you have a surprise to look forward to tomorrow."

"Wait, what? What sort of surprise?"

"I've said too much already. You'll see."

"Then you shouldn't have said anything! It would have been a surprise either way! Now I'll wondering what it could possibly be."

"Exactly."

Noctis shot his friend a light-hearted glare as he reached for the handle. "Thanks a lot."

Gladiolus grinned again before slipping inside first. "Any time."

* * *

"Good luck, Noct!"

"Thanks," muttered the Prince, walking down the halls at a brisk pace to meet his father outside. He nodded his head lightly at the guard before hurrying by, until he did a double-take. "_Prompto_?"

"Yep!" His blond friend grinned widely before giving a salute.

Noctis had barely recognized his friend in uniform. He was so accustomed to seeing Prompto in everyday clothing, or sometimes the odd suit, that seeing the lanky man in uniform was a shock. It managed to suit him rather well, though. Once done gawking in surprise, Noctis finally grinned and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Congratulations. I didn't think that you'd be in the City Guard so soon!"

"Told you, I got the best aim of anyone here. That, and Gladiolus helped," added Prompto under his breath. "But, surprise! Today's my first day on the job!"

The Prince gave a one-sided smile. So this had been the surprise after all. He really was quite happy and proud for his friend for having made it to rank so soon, even if it was just the starting position. "Don't screw up too badly today, then."

"Oh, c'mon. It's _me_ we're talking about here!"

"Precisely."

"Ah hah. Ah hah. I need to head on out to my position, and so do you, Mr. Prince. I may be protecting you as well no, but even I can't save you if you wind up late."

Eyes going wide, Noctis swallowed. "Good point." With a turn of his heel, and a wave at his old friend, he hurried back on down the hall. Leaving his father waiting was never a good decision

The day was a bright one, having returned to the bout of good weather after the previous day's showers. And, thanks to that rain, it was even cooler now, making for an excellent day to travel. Slowing to a steady walk, Noctis smoothed down his suit and joined his father at the head of the stares. He remembered this event in reverse all too well, even though it had been over a month now since their visit to Tenebrae. Now, it was time for the Caelum family to repay the favour to the Fleuret line.

"Tired?" asked Regis without looking to his son. The elder man kept his eyes on the horizon, looking for sign of the arriving royal family.

"Actually...not really. Surprisingly enough."

"Good. There may be hope after all that we get through this."

Noctis blinked in confusion at his father. So unused to hearing amusement in the King's voice, Noctis was never certain whether or not he was hearing things just then. From his current position, he even thought that he saw a light grin tugging at Regis' lips. Perhaps it was just the angle of the light playing tricks on him. Even so, the King did show his humorous side at odd times, and this certainly fit that profile.

A cheer rose up from the gathered crowd, causing Noctis to shift his gaze back to the horizon. Turning onto the palace's driveway came five white vehicles. From them, once they stopped at the front of the palace, stepped the Fleuret family: Viduo, Avarus, and Stella. Now it was the Caelum family's turn to walk down the steps and greet the guests. To his surprise, Viduo pulled Regis into a hug. And the Prince was not the only one surprised. Royal Guards that had lined the steps tensed in anticipation, having expected the worse. Avarus, much like Noctis, seemed surprised, although slightly more appalled than the dark-haired Prince. On the other hand, Stella only chuckled and covered her mouth politely.

"It is...good to finally have you visit," greeted Regis once the hug ended. Even the King had been caught off-guard by the display, and tried his hardest to casually right his hair and clothes. Dishevelling the King, even that slight amount, was quite a feat. "Do you require rest after your journey?"

"No, no. Let's get this first meeting over with! Why draw out the inevitable."

Noctis blinked in amazement at the King of Tenebrae. It was still such an interesting experience to deal with the King, and a bit more unsettling than he would have liked. For years, he had to deal with the likes of his father and the Councilmen. Dealing with Viduo was a completely different game. His responses were so unlike anything Noctis expected, that the young Prince was already off-put during meetings with the man. It caused him to falter and nearly lose his train of thoughts and composure.

Once the group of royalty arrived at the required building, the two Kings, more precisely, mostly Viduo, conversed on their way to the Council Room. Noctis remained at the front, as a guide, and thus stayed silent until the five of them entered the room where the Councilmen waited.

And so it began.

The meeting consisted largely of the Kings and the Councilmen doing all the talking. Now and then, Avarus and Stella would chime in, adding their thoughts, but it was Noctis who remained most silent. He tried to pay attention, he really did, but he felt his purpose there was largely superficial. Dozing off, or yawning, thankfully did not occur, but he would be glad once the meeting was over. That was, until, one of the topics listed further down on the agenda was brought up. Anything concerning their Crystal brought him to full attention.

"What exactly is this research you're offering us in trade for knowledge of the Crystal?" asked one of the Councilmen, rather bluntly. Noctis glanced up, anticipating the answer. To his surprise, it was not the King of Tenebrae that responded, but rather the Princess.

"We've been looking into a means of alternative power." All eyes settled onto Stella. "We hope to make it as powerful and reliable of your Crystal one day. But, to do that successfully, we will need to learn more of yours. Everything we examine and create with it would of course be shared."

"Do we even need a new source of power? The kingdoms have been managing just fine with what's available," countered another.

Stella sighed and shifted in her seat, a glimpse of frustration breaking through her perfect composure. "Forgive my frankness, but not every kingdom has a Crystal. We don't all hold the same luxury as you of a secondary power. What the rest of us have now is wonderful, yes, but even it has limitations. And as long as one kingdom has something different, be it a Crystal or something else, the cold war, or worse, may return."

"But what is this power you speak of?" asked Morior, eyeing down his long nose at the young Princess. The King's brother had been wearing an unreadable mask for all of the meeting. Though he had never outright opposed to the notion of the alliance with Tenebrae, he was not hesitant to bring up good points of concerns. Now was no different. His questions, while hidden under the guise of respect, managed to probe out information, not resting until he got the information that he sought. And, being quite the master with politics, he knew a hollow answer from a real one. He was persistent, that much Noctis had to admit.

Stella's violet eyes shifted to her father momentarily before sitting in her chair straighter. "It is The Light."

Hushed murmurs fell between the Councilmen. Noctis felt his heart plummet into his stomach. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably before glancing to Stella. The Princess of Tenebrae held herself high and held her ground against the judging gazes of the Councilmen.

"The Light is not something to fear. Our research into it has already shown that it has great potential. It's a practically unlimited source of power. Think of what we can achieve with it! New buildings, new vehicles, new ships, new—"

"Weapons like the Obruo?"

A light gasp of surprise escaped Stella. Even the other members of the royal family and the Councilmen were surprised. The Prince even surprised himself, but he could no longer remain silent on such matters. What Stella spoke of in her plans for the Light sounded far too similar to what led to the Obruo and the destruction of the fal'Cie. People then had used The Light, probably starting off with very similar good intentions, and in the end waged war. Granted, there was only the one Crystal now, but that did not ease his concern remotely. In fact, it only made his feeling of dread worse.

"The Light can easily be used as a weapon just as easily as it can be used to power whatever else you had in mind."

"Just like the Crystal."

A glare flashed across Noctis' visage, directed at the Prince of Tenebrae. How dare someone insult their Crystal in such a manner. He wanted to rebuke, to defend their ancient guardian, but he could come up with nothing that could then be countered again. Avarus was right. Both the Crystal and The Light could be used as weapons. A war had been waged against the fal'Cie by using The Light. A war, thousands of years later, had been waged with Crystal against Crystal. Noctis cast his gaze down, ashamed. What would be the basis of the next war? Light pitted against Light? It sounded inevitable when he thought about it.

"Without anything different, your Crystal will always be seen as a threat," continued Avarus, his words harsh but truthful. "No matter how much the kingdoms speak of peace now, it will always be seen that way. It will be lurking there in the shadows, a linchpin that could initiate a new war anywhere down the road. Having the power of The Light, however, may just help, for then the other kingdoms can feel that they have something of equal value, or perhaps greater, to your Crystal."

Noctis said no more, allowing the others to resume control of the meeting. Let them do what they will: argue, banter, go around in circles, whatever. The Prince no longer cared. No matter what was said, he would always have his doubts.

* * *

The weekend was over, and so it was time for the Fleuret family to take their leave. Noctis and Regis saw to their departure. Much like on their arrival, the weather was pleasant, making it easy for the crowd to gather.

As they descended the steps, a tingling sensation prickled at the back of his mind. Shaking his head, Noctis tried to get rid of it, thinking it no more than a passing feeling. Despite his attempts, it would not go away, and instead grew to the point where he realized what it was.

"Get down!" he shouted, dashing in front of the other members of royalty. His father, being as quick to act as the Prince, helped to get the Fleuret family down swiftly and safely. Eyes flashed from their calming blue to a stark red, signalling his connection to the Crystal. Weapons shimmered around him, coming from their state of hiding to answer his call and lend their aid. They acted as a shield, blocking the burst of magic that exploded in front. If not for the shield of weapons, Noctis feared that the worst outcome would have come to pass.

Over the noise from the explosion, he could already here the commotion from the crowd rising, and the hustle of the Royal Guard rushing to lend assistance from the magic attack. But that strike had been no ordinary magic like many people learned. Noctis grimaced as he reached for his nearest weapon, one of the spears in his arsenal, and tried to find the person behind the attack. He had used that power of the attack only once before, he had dealt with it more times than he would have liked during the previous year.

The Light.

Someone had used the power of The Light in an attempt to murder them. Following the trace left behind, Noctis teleported as often as he could, leaving those in the Royal Guard, and City Guard behind. After a number of more jumps, he found the culprit trying to flee. With one more teleportation move, he reached in front of the dark-haired woman. What he had opened to be an easy task was not so simple as she lashed out with another attack, this one being a more common fire spell.

"Agh!" Noctis winced from the heat of the flames that licked threateningly close to his body. The woman shoved him aside before bolting further along. He grunted and scrambled to his feet as fast as he could. Ahead of them, he could see a motorcycle waiting for her. "No you don't!" Throwing a weapon, he used his powers and lodged it right in the motorcycle, stopping the vehicle from being able to function. The woman, caught off-guard, left herself wide open. Taking that chance, Noctis teleported forward and locked her arms behind her body.

Weapons hovered around her, ensuring that she did not escape. She struggled, kicking and trying to free her arms, but it was no use. Using his powers, Noctis teleported himself and the woman back to the Royal Guard. Half a dozen took her from him and led the assassin towards the Kings.

"Noct! You all right?" The Prince looked up to see his two friends in the City Guard nearing him.

"Yeah. Fine." Sniffing, he caught a whiff of smoke. Part of his suit had been singed from her fire attack after all, and he tried to smother it out before it spread any further.

"Who was that?" asked Prompto, craning his head to see past the Royal Guards.

"About to find out." Striding forward, Noctis reached where the woman had been taken, just in front of the other royal family members. Regis eyed her, his gaze more weighing than usual.

"Take her away for questioning later," ordered the King of Lucis. The tall man made a dismissive gesture with his hand, ending the matter.

"My life for my kingdom!" shouted the woman.

"Stop her!"

Confusion ensued. The woman struggled against the guards around her, and some rushed in closer, but then she stopped all movement. The guards, who had been shouting orders at one another became dead silent. Noctis stared on, baffled, trying to get a better view of what was happening. Even returning back to his father's side, he could see nothing else, until the guards laid down the woman and stepped aside.

Noctis grimaced at the sight. Foam bubbled from her mouth, and her eyes were frozen open. All life was gone from her body.

"Poison," spat Regis. "There goes any chance at answers."

"Not so fast, your highness," said Avarus, stepping forward. The older Prince knelt down by the still-warm body and took something off of her clothing. "See? These are the colours of Niflheim."

"And so they send one person to start a war?"

"Perhaps they did wish to start a war, but just to keep us from forming an alliance," reasoned Viduo. "King Regis, I do not think this incident should be allowed to deter our efforts. In fact, I think we should make the best from this, and not allow a bond to be broken from a feeble attempt such as this."

Not fully convinced, Noctis stared at the woman while others came to take her away. Something was not sitting right with him: Why would an assassin wear the colours of their home kingdom? That felt like a stupid mistake, or, perhaps, deceit.

* * *

"Noct, there's something I need to tell you before you head to bed."

Nearly tripping over his own legs in the process, the Prince sat back in his chair before completely falling over and hurting himself. Anytime that his father used his nickname felt so unexpected that it always caught him by surprise. Sitting, he tried to right himself, and looked, rather sheepishly, to his father.

"Niflheim of course denies the assassination attempt," continued the King. Noctis felt uneasy, wondering where the discussion was headed. "Even if it wasn't them, someone out there does not wish for our alliance to proceed. But we cannot run and hide any more. We will hold our own and not cower in the shadows. And so, I have decided to move ahead with this allegiance with Tenebrae. This will, however, require something from you."

Sinking into the back of his chair, Noctis wanted to disappear. Perhaps he should teleport away now, and avoid it all. Running, however, would only get him so far before he had to stop. As much as he wanted to, he could not delay the inevitable.

Swallowing, Noctis asked the question that would receive the dreaded answer: "What is it?"

"There would be an arranged marriage between you and Princess Stella."

* * *

**A/N:** Yep. Pulse and Lindzei. Whether or not they're going to keep Etro and all that lore in XV, it's staying in mine (I did read that the Versus/XV story is largely staying the same, so we'll see?)

Wanted to have Noctis joking around with his friends at the start, since things are going to get really dark...really soon...

Omg, I realized, just like Ignis got no real screentime in the new trailer, he didn't get any in this chapter ;A; I'm so sorry, Ignis.

I'm still hyped and want to keep writing, so hopefully another update should be fairly soon!


	4. Best Laid Plans

**A/N:** Another update! And without a month of waiting! More "political" stuff, but the pace will be picking up very soon. Please enjoy!

* * *

IV

_Best Laid Plans_

"_What_?!" The chair skidded across the floor as Noctis bolted upright, slamming his hands onto the table harder than he would have liked. He felt like he had been slapped suddenly, the surprise information having left a stinging sensation through his mind and body. "_Marriage_?!" The idea was not foreign to him. In fact, when he had been younger, he sometimes wondered who his own princess would be, yet, the older he grew, the less it crossed his mind. Granted, he still found women attractive, and thought about what it would be like to date the ones he had found interesting and entertaining after he managed to gather the courage to talk to them at events that he had to attend, but never had he really thought of marrying any. That part of his duty had slipped from his mind, especially since Regis had never pressed the matter, until now. "And an _arranged_ marriage? That seems so..archaic now! So stu—"

Noctis bit his tongue to stop himself short. Across the table, his father visibly sighed and glanced down for a second, causing the Prince to mentally kick himself for having been so foolish and allowing his mouth to run off like that. Of all the people to hear his protest, it was his father. His father, who, when younger, had an arranged marriage with his mother. The two had been happy together, very much in love, and, though Noctis would have never admitted it to anyone else, they had the relationship that he one day hoped he could find.

Taking a deep breath, the Prince shook his head lightly and slumped, his grip on the table loosening. The chair, somewhere behind him now, was too far back to sit down on easily, and he did not have the strength to reach back and pull it closer. "Is there... Are there any other options?"

"I'm sure it seems silly and ridiculous to you now, but a marriage is still the strongest and fastest way to form a lasting alliance between our kingdoms."

"Do...do I have a choice?"

"Yes."

His heart raced with vigour at hearing that single word. Looking up, he half expected to see his father wearing a comforting smile, but there was none. Leaning forward, Regis laced his fingers together and stared at his son. It was not one of those judging gazes, or those where Noctis felt like he was being weighed and found wanting. The weathered lines across the King's face were softer now, matching the concerned look behind his eyes.

"Both you and Stella have a say in this matter. Think about it. In time, the Fleuret family will return. You and Stella will be able to discuss the matter with each other then and hopefully come to your decision." The King let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry," he murmured. Upon hearing those simple words, Noctis wanted to pinch himself to see whether or not he was actually dreaming. The last time that his father had said those words had been...well, he could not remember the King having ever uttered them. "I hope you never have to choose between the happiness of the kingdom, and the happiness of someone you love."

Numbly, Noctis stepped back and managed to sit down in his chair. It had to be a dream. Though his father had not directly said so, it was the closest that he had ever heard the King saying that he was loved in a long time. The memories from his childhood, containing such a thing, felt like they were from another era, from another life completely. His mother's death really had changed things more than he realized.

The King rose and walked to his son's side, placing a hand on Noctis' shoulder. Looking up, there was a glimpse of the father that he once knew. The father that would play with his son before sleep, work permitting. The father that would pull faces to cheer his son up when glum. The father that enjoyed spending time with his wife and his son.

"If you can give me _any_ valid reason not to marry, or not to proceed with this alliance with Tenebrae, let me know. There are still other paths to take, no matter how difficult they may seem."

The Prince glanced down, trying to reclaim a moment to himself to gather this thoughts. First the marriage news, then the apology, and then the comforting words from his father. His mind was in a daze from everything. "Okay," he murmured, looking back up to the father he recognized from his memories.

A lop-sided smile tugged at the corner of Regis mouth, cocking his head in question. "What? Was there someone else you had your heart set on?

"What?" Noctis felt himself choke before frantically shaking his head. "No! No, no, no. ...No? Not...really."

One of the King's rare chuckles slipped into the air. "Not really? And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Noctis found himself wondering the exact same thing. What _did_ he mean? When his father had asked him, he had felt his thoughts drift back to Niveus, and the brief, yet memorable, time that they had spent together. Even now, he still wore her necklace. Even now, he still went to talk to her in times of distress (the whole marriage proposal would soon be added to the list of one-sided conversations). Even now, he still found himself thinking about her and her short time spent as Niveus despite knowing full well that any future with her was nonexistent, yet alone not possible. Maybe that was why. Maybe because he knew that there was no future, he could not get hurt by allowing his thoughts to wander. Yet, whenever he thought about the feelings that had crept up during those several months, he found himself getting confused. Had it been just friends, or something else? He really did not know what to think of it, and was hardly an expert on the matter. Just thinking about it then made his head hurt.

"It's complicated," he finally muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Regis may have known that part of the Crystal had helped them while collecting those shard, but he still did not know of Niveus. That, Noctis and his friends had managed to keep silent for over a year now, and planned to do so for as long as it was needed.

The King waited for anything more on the matter, but Noctis fell silent. "Very well. Go on. Get what rest you can."

* * *

How humiliating. Noctis groaned and rolled his eyes. He really should not have expected anything else from his friends. Ignis had only thoughtfully frowned, probably more concerned with how the even would effect Lucis, and thinking of any advice or other points that would be given in due time. Gladiolus had tried his hardest to hold back a snigger, though part of it still managed to break through the meager line of defence. Despite what humour that he had found in the news, there was still a hint of concern and sympathy behind his gaze. Now, Prompto, on the other hand, let out a loud laugh that left him breathless in the end. Even when the other friends shot him glares, he did not stop, nor when Gladiolus gave a shove that caused him to stumble.

"I-I'm sorry," said Prompto through his laughs when they managed to dwindle down. "Th-this shouldn't be so funny. It really shouldn't. But-but it is! I just... Noctis with _girl_ problems!" And the laughter started up again. Prompto was pushed aside to continue to double-over while laughing on his own.

"Are you really going to go through with this?" asked Gladiolus, the amusement that had been creeping across his face moments before gone. "Marry someone you barely know just for an alliance? That's ridiculous!"

"It's not, really," said Ignis, adjusting his glasses. "Marrying to seal an alliance between kingdoms is nothing new. It was due to the cold war that there haven't been as many in our years. If you ever take a look into our history, Lucis has had multiple arranged marriages with other kingdoms before the War of the Crystals began. When that happened, our kingdom practically cut itself off from the rest of the world to stay alive and instead had arranged marriages between the royal family and other major families within the kingdom. Noctis' parents are such an example."

"Seriously, Ignis, how do you remember everything?"

The bespectacled man sniffed lightly and held his hands behind his back, shooting Gladiolus a smug look. "Some of us actually paid attention in school."

"But, Noct, are you really going to consider this?" questioned Prompto once he managed to gain control of his outburst. The side of the concerned friend had managed to show itself. "There's gotta be other options!"

Noctis let out a sigh and sat on the ledge of the roof, not worrying at all about falling over like most others. It was one of their favourite roofs to gather on to discuss anything without fear of anyone else. Due to their duties taking up more and more time as the years rolled by, they had been unable to visit the roof together so often. Thankfully, Noctis had managed to gather them for a brief moment one afternoon not too long after his father had broken him the new of marriage. And so it was here that he had wanted to inform his friends of his possible marriage so that no one else in the kingdom may yet know.

"I have to," he muttered, still not yet fully believing the news himself. "It is part of my duties, after all." A wry laugh, in part to relieve stress, slipped past his lips as he ran a hand down his face. "I just never though that I'd have to deal with this so soon."

"Soon? Noctis, remember, your father got married when he was younger than you," pointed out Ignis.

The Prince pursed his lips together and shot his friend a dry glare. "Not by much, mind you. It still feels too soon to me. Besides, that's not what troubles me, but rather the consequences should I decline."

"Ahh, what's the worst that could happen? So Viduo becomes so insulted that he declares war against Lucis. The very thing that we have been hoping to avoid all these years comes to pass, most likely bringing out kingdom into ruin. Who knows, maybe the other kingdoms will join in, taking the opportunity in our preoccupied state to try getting our Crystal. All because of you declining the marriage." Prompto tapped a finger to his chin then looked expectantly to Nocts. "Did I leave anything out?"

The Prince had felt himself slumping forward with each word said. The weight of that outcome already pressed down on his shoulders, crushing him. "Nope. I think you got just about all of it." He sighed before looking back up to his friends. "Then what would be the best outcome?"

Prompto drummed his fingers against his chin for a moment. "Well, naturally, you accept and get married to Stella. All is well between Lucis and Tenebrae. They learn from our Crystal, and we learn from their Light and manage to create a better future. Then, of course, that kingdom that sent the attack last they were here, be it Niflheim or not, will become infuriated with the alliance and declare war on _both_ our kingdoms. Granted, we'd probably hold out better thanks to the alliance, but other alliances would form against us. In that time, other kingdoms would try to take our Crystal too. And all that because you accepted the marriage."

Noctis stared at Prompto. Prompto stared back. "_Really_? That's the _best_ outcome?"

The blond shrugged. "What? I'm just trying to make you think of outcomes that probably haven't crossed your mind!"

"He's got a point," commented Ignis. That caused Prompto to grin. "You really must try to weigh all options and think of all possible outcomes, no matter how drastic they may seem."

"See? Ignis is on my side. Means I win!"

"I guess you're right..." The Prince glanced over his shoulder to what he could see of his kingdom. "Any step out into the world now brings a risk to our Crystal. We've been isolated for too long." Pursing his lips together, he looked back to his friends. "Say, what if Stella's the one to decline, and not me?"

"We part ways with Tenebrae and go back home and dance around while holding hands."

Noctis blinked. Prompto blinked in return. "Seriously? That's it?"

"Would you rather I have said that even if your father doesn't declare war, that the Council demands it? Then we enter a war with Tenebrea, and the other kingdoms try to take or destroy our Crystal?"

"No..."

"Well, then there you have it."

"You forget," started Gladiolus, making Noctis groan and drop his head into his hands. What could else could there possibly be? "The Crystal may very well shatter again before anything bad happens to it in those cases. Then Lucis would whither away unless it was restored again."

"And without having gotten the access to Tenebrae's research, we'd have no other means to sustain Lucis in the interim. That, and Tenebrae would have a greater power over us, even if they claim they wouldn't use it for weapon. We'd rather easily be overpowered," added Ignis, finally caving in to the amusement of teasing.

"This _isn't_ helping, guys," said Noctis, his voice muffled by his hands.

"Hey, just providing options!" chimed Prompto. "Now _you're_ the one that has to mull over them and decide for the future of all of Lucis."

"I hate you guys right now. So very, very much."

* * *

Regis remained seated until the last of the Councilmen were gone. Silently, and slowly, he rose, feeling tired and exhausted. Handling the negotiations with Tenebrae was beginning to take it tole on the King of Lucis. It would soon be over, however, and then he would see to taking a small vacation. Perhaps he should take it with Noctis, as well. A break would do them both a great deal of good. After glancing up to the onyx statues, he sighed and made his way towards the doors.

"You're making a foolish mistake," said a voice from one of the chairs. Regis blinked in surprise. He could have sworn that everyone had left. Clearly, he had been mistaken.

"And what mistake is that, Morior?" Regis frowned at his brother as the younger rose from the chair. It was not the first time that his brother had called one of his decisions foolish. In total, he could probably count the total number of times on both of his hands, even when including the latest installation.

"It is far from wise to give this much responsibility to your son, Noctis."

The King's eyes narrowed. "To which responsibility are you referring? As Prince, he has many."

"And many that he does not uphold. But I am speaking of the most recent one, of his likely marriage with Princess Stella."

Regis tensed. The only ones who were meant to know of that were those that it immediately concerned. He did not wish to inform the Councilmen as of yet, for he wanted this to be Noctis' and Stella's decision alone. Let the other old men worry about that matter if it would happen, and let them not know of it if it was not come to pass. Regis had made certain not to speak of the matter openly either, so his brow only furrowed in confusion further. "How did you know that?"

"Come now, brother." Morior gave a wicked grin. "You're not the only one here that has little birds that whisper in your ear. But that is not the matter here. What matters is that Noctis will not succeed. He cares not for the kingdom. He would rather go gallivanting around with his friends than attend to his work. He dozes off during conferences. Hardly pays attention, even at the best of times. The only thing that he seems to care about is the Crystal, but not even that is enough. Noctis is not fit for this duty, just like he is not fit for the throne."

There it was. There was the reason behind this. It was no small secret between them that Morior had disliked being the younger son. It was no small secret that he resented Noctis being the next heir, either. Now and then, Regis had to see to reminding his brother of the proper order.

"You will not become King, Morior."

* * *

"Your home really is quite lovely," commented Stella, tilting her head back to see the true height of the buildings around them. It was time for the Fleuret family to visit again, and so, Noctis and the Princess of Tenebrae had been left to discuss the matters of the marriage. However, he had not much cared for spending that time cooped up inside, and so he had asked to take her on a walk of his home. They talked, yes, but not yet of the marriage.

Feeling flustered, Noctis was not certain how to start that discussion. Even after the couple of weeks that he had had to think matters over, he still felt like he was missing something, like there was some issue that must be hiding in the shadows, making certain that it would remain unaware until that proper moment when it would then rear its head to cause trouble. And so, now, he was trying to discern any other information that he could before finally coming to a decision on the matter. This had to have been a record for him, in coming up with an answer within an allotted time.

"Thank you," muttered Noctis. Much of their conversation had been as thus. Stella had asked questioned or made comments on the kingdom, and he would answer or inform her further on the details of his home. In a way, it made him feel more like a tour guide at the moment than a Prince. Rather silly, really. He was also beginning to run out of things to say.

"Ah, is that the Temple?"

Noctis stopped dead in his tracks. Having just let his feet wander on his own, for he knew that he could not get lost in his own home, he had not realized where he had lead them. Sure enough, before them was the Temple that housed the Crystal. The Prince swallowed lightly, looking to Stella who already seemed enamoured by the building. It had not been his intent at all to show her their most guarded place.

"May I see the Crystal?"

"I... Uh... Well..." Every new start of a sentence fumbled across his tongue and failed. It was not every day that outsiders got to see the Crystal, even if they happened to be royalty.

"Please? Though I work in the research department for The Light back home, I promise that I won't perform any sort of tests on your Crystal. I only wish to see it."

For a moment, Noctis eyed her. Her words had sounded truthful enough, and there looked to be no deceit hidden behind her eyes. A brief thought of calling his father to make certain she was allowed to see the Crystal crossed his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside. It was all right for him to make decisions on his own. Nodding, he lead Stella to the Temple, past the guards, and up into the chamber that held the Crystal.

Noctis hung back while Stella slowly walked forward, completely in awe by the sight. Silently, he watched the Crystal too, making sure that the pulses of soft light did not hasten or become frantic in presence of the new guest. So far, so good.

"My goodness..." breathed Stella. "It's...it's beautiful..." She reached out a hand towards the Crystal.

"No!" Dashing forward, Noctis grabbed her wrist and stopped her before she could touch their ancient guardian. "You cannot touch it."

Violet eyes blinked at him before widening in realization. "I'm so sorry!" she apologized, clapping a hand over her mouth. "I-I was so caught up in it that I completely forgot myself."

A sigh of relief escaped him before he lowered her hand. "It's all right. Just...no touching, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled and nodded before staring back at the Crystal and taking a large step back out of respect. Silence settled between them, both of them studying the ancient guardian. It still glowed contently, finding no threat or danger with either of them in its presence. A good sign, he noted, that it was not calling out in distress for help like it had when Creon was in the same place over a year ago. "I thought it would be...bigger, to be honest," she admitted, breaking the silence.

A small hum to acknowledge her comment slipped past his lips as he tilted his head to study the Crystal on his own. Having grown up with it looking as it did all his life, he had never expected anything different. In its current state, it was larger than that of a full-grown person. It was a comfort to see it in such a state, and a little sorrowful as well. Compared to the dozens of shards that he and his friends had to collect the prior year, it was blessing to see it in its full form. Yet, compared to the Crystal that he knew it should have been, the full Crystal that was a symbol of a fal'Cie's power, it was a poor fragment in of itself.

"Your kingdom is still very lucky. I wish that I could have at least seen Tenebrae's Crystal."

Blinking in surprise, he looked over to the Princess. Her gaze was heavier with sorrow as she watched the Crystal of Lucis. It had always been a part of his life. He did not want to imagine losing it, or, like in Stella's case, never having had it in the first place.

"Though Tenebrae was one of the last kingdoms to have its Crystal destroyed in that war, that still happened many years before I was born. Even before my father was born. It's such a shame that time of wonder before the war was lost."

"And so now you hope for your research into The Light may replace it?" A grimace crossed the Prince's face. "Replace the last Crystal and make it obsolete?"

"No! You're mistaken!" Stella shook her head vehemently. "I only wish to provide everyone with what you already have! Maybe then we can secure the peace that we have managed to obtain."

"Maybe," he murmured. However, no matter what hopeful words that she spoke, there was still a sad truth that hung in the back of his mind. "But as long our Crystal is in that equation, that won't happen. Lucis will always have something that the other kingdoms want to obtain."

"Well, certainly not with _that_ attitude." At her tone, Noctis felt his face flush in embarrassment. "You have to at least _try_. Nothing good comes from sulking around and thinking all is doomed. You'd be surprised what can happen. Just look at what your kingdom is trying now! Breaking away from its reclusive past, you're already leading your people to a brighter future. It's a start for all of the other kingdoms as well. And, maybe... Maybe, together, we can help lead the way to that hopeful future?"

He had not thought it possible for his cheeks to get any redder than they were already, but he was proven wrong. "T-together?" he fumbled.

She returned his flustered state with furrowed confusion. "Did your father tell you tha—"

"Ye-s." Fumbling again, he cleared his throat, surprised that his voice had managed to crack just then. "Yes. He did inform me of...of the possible...marriage." No matter how much he had thought about it, weighed the options, and thought of all imaginable consequences, it still felt awkward to talk about the marriage, let alone with the person that he was supposed to be marrying. He shuffled his feet and adjusted his weight, wanting to end the conversation right then and there.

"And?"

"Well..." Great. It was the last thing that he wanted, to have to voice his thoughts on the matter first. He would have preferred to listen to her views on the proposal first. "I... I think..." A nervous swallow allowed him a moment to gather any other thoughts. Granted, he had already thought through everything that he could possible consider, but maybe there was something else that would make itself apparent in the moment. His blue orbs glanced quickly to the Crystal of Lucis, and studied its calming glow. It saw no threat, and, for he dearly hoped that it was aware of what was going on, held no objections. That, in the end, was the final say that he needed. "I think it would be in both of our kingdoms best interests to proceed with the alliance, and therefore the marriage." He pursed his lips together and stood tall, trying his hardest to no longer show doubt or hesitation in the matter.

"I think so, too." A soft smile tugged at her lips as she nodded. "I do also believe that this will be for the benefit of _all_ of the kingdoms, not just Tenebrae and Lucis." At last, her posture broke and she placed her hands over her face in embarrassment while laughing lightly. For a moment, he got to see just who was behind the role of the Princess of Tenebrae. "I'm sorry. I just... While I had suspected that such an arrangement might be brought up, I was still surprised when father mentioned it to me. I didn't quite know what to expect today."

Noctis dipped his head and shared in her chuckle, feeling able to relax once again. "Me too," he admitted, while making sure to leave out his rather strong objection from when he first heard.

Clearing her throat, Stella stood tall again and smoothed down her dress. The Princess was back in place. Like the first night that they met, she held out a hand. "Well, I do hope that we are able to become friends as we set out on this endeavour together."

He took her hand, and sealed their arrangement. "Same. And, please, just...just call me Noct."

* * *

King Regis leaned back from his paperwork and stared at the onyx statues that guarded the Council Room. There was something that he always found calming in the room, and so often found himself working there rather than in his own office. Though, with the work done for the night, it was time for rest. Rising, he allowed himself a smile. His son had managed to not only meet his expectations, but exceed them. The marriage between him and Princess Stella had been announced a few weeks ago, and was being well-received by the people. Noctis would yet become the King that Regis knew he could be.

"Hello?" he called out, hearing a noise. From the darkened corners stepped out a familiar face. "Is there something that I can help you with, Viduo?" Regis frowned in thought, stepping around the table cautiously. The King of Tenebrae continued forward slowly. Both he and his daughter were back in Lucis for another visit, dealing with the upcoming wedding. Avarus, on the other hand, had remained in their kingdom.

"There is...something I wish to discuss with you," sighed the elder man. The white-haired King was not moving with the same gusto that Regis had come to expect to see. It was as though the man had aged ten years in ten days.

"Must it be discussed now?" Though uneasy, Regis stood his ground. It was rather an awkward hour to discuss a matter, no matter how important it may seem.

"Yes, yes. It must be done now," mused Viduo, walking ever closer.

"Well, what is it then? The night's not as young as I'd like, at the moment."

A sharp gasp escaped him, yet still he stood his ground. It was not the first time that he had stared down the barrel of a gun, but it was certainly the first time in a location where he felt safe above all others. The man that he had believed that he could trust now held him at gunpoint. The pristine mask had been removed, revealing the true face of the King of Tenebrae, one that was cracked, bitter, twisted, and corrupt. A thirst for power glinted behind those pale eyes that bore into his dark ones.

"This is what you wished to discuss?" questioned Regis, managing to keep his voice steady despite his itching nerves.

"Essentially, yes. I like to get straight to the point." Viduo gestured to the gun. "Don't you?"

"What is it that you want?" Regis' frown deepened. Part of him wanted to look around for some way to escape, but he knew he could not break his gaze with the other King. Doing so would be a sign of weakness. His only weapon now was his force of willpower. A magic spell would take too long to cast, and with the gun already drawn, he did not have time to knock the weapon aside.

"Really, now, Regis. You should know the answer to that."

"The Crystal?"

"In part."

"Then all of this has just been a ploy?"

"All of this has been part of a deal with someone else."

"With whom?"

A cry should have escaped him, but it could not. Instead, a muffled moan of pain slipped past his lips, carried on a gasp that was forced out. The hot searing pain spread across his back, moving with the blood that seeped out of the wound. Another, and another. The pain sent the King to his knees, his vision whiting out from the pain, but still he held onto his hold in the mortal world.

Off in the distance, somewhere, he could hear bells tolling for him. The Underworld, the land of the dead, was beckoning him on towards its Gates. Beyond that lay Etro's realm, where his wife had waited for him for years. He knew it was time to join her, if earlier than he expected. Before he went to that place, leaving the mortal world behind, there was one thing else he had to do.

Holding on as long as he could, his life slipping from him faster than he expected, Regis reached out and grabbed the hem of the pants of the second person who had moved in front. That was his killer, the man in front of him now. He had to know. He had to know who had betrayed him before he slipped into the Underworld and left behind a glimpse of The Light that he wondered if his son would see.

So he looked up, managing to see through his blackening vision to the face that glared down at him. The face that was far too similar to his own.

"B-brother..."

His hand was kicked off of his murderer's leg, and his body slumped to the floor. The bells had stopped their tolling for him, and his soul slipped past the Gates into the Underworld.

* * *

**A/N:** Aaaaaand things take a turn for the worse. A very sharp turn. So yes, this was the murder mentioned in the story description.

Things will be explained more in the next chapter. I'll try to get it up fairly soon so you're not all left hanging.

And so the death tally in this story has begun... *Runs and hides*


	5. Dust to Dust

**A/N:** Well, we've been given a bit more information on Noct and his friends, like how seeing the Light is a precursor to someone's death rather than the aftermath of it. I'm not about to go about changing all of the previous story and this one to match that xP So yeah, keep in mind, AU and all, so there will of course be differences.

Anyway, enjoy! Well, as much as possible considering that Regis has just been killed, aheh...

* * *

V

_Dust to Dust_

Pulse stared at the land before them. Compared to the rest of the world, the area where they were now held very few of those annoying pests. The war that they had waged all those years ago tore the land apart, acting as just another reminder that those annoying pests spread their cursed end to everything around them. Nothing was safe. Other beings, be they on the land, sea, or sky, had been infected by the cursed end as well. Even the very world itself was not safe.

A ruined city, further to the east, had been trapped in that cursed end for years upon years, souls imprisoned and unable to pass on to the Underworld, had finally been released from that perpetual darkness. The surrounding land, which was still covered in the blight from that cursed end, of all that turmoil and anger, had begun to heal. It was a small glimpse of hope, that the land was capable of healing itself...if only the cursed end was completely gone. As long as it still lingered, as long as it still plagued everything, any healing was only delaying the inevitable.

"Will this be enough?" asked Lindzei, glancing to his elder brother. While the healing land was to one side, the other was flourishing. Nestled beneath the mountains that cut the eastern continent in two, a mighty forest grew. Within that forest was a small society of the annoying pests, protected by one of the _others_. She treated them like pets, just like the rest had done all those years ago. Coddling them, giving them a home, protecting them. Much of it made Pulse sick.

There they had been, treating the annoying pests like they were the most important things in the entire universe, when all the while, they brought that cursed end to the rest of the world, and even to the others, all because of _her_. The cursed end that she unleashed upon the living world had to be stopped. To do that, they would need their father. To get their father, they would have to bring some annoying pests to their cursed end just a little sooner.

"Not normally, no. But the other will make it work," answered Pulse.

"Is that really all right? I mean, she's still _family_."

Pulse grimaced. He did not like the option any more than his younger brother. "It's all we have to be able to summon our father. No other place has a large enough number in one place. Besides, once we find our father, it will make no difference."

* * *

Morior stared down at his elder brother's body. He could not believe it; all of it still felt like a dream. Any moment now, he would wake up and Regis would still be King, belittling his existence and opinions. The younger brother closed his eyes and breathed deeply, the coppery scent of the blood not bothering him as much as he thought it would, and counted a few slow seconds. When he opened his eyes again, his brother was still there, prone body on the ground and no longer moving. Blood had begun to spill on the ground, staining everything that came in contact with it.

"That went...easier than I expected..." murmured Morior, still feeling like he was in a dream.

"What of the guards?" asked Viduo.

"I've seen to them already. Though, we still should not linger."

"Once this is over, I'll be receiving the Crystal?"

Morior stopped on his way to the door, glancing over his shoulder to the King of Tenebrae. "As long as the rest of our bargain is upheld, and Niflheim takes the blame, then yes." He eyed Viduo, wondering if the man really had the tenacity to pull out of their agreement now. "Regis may be taken care of now, but the Councilmen?"

"You will be able to choose your own group of yes-men soon enough. They will be, by far, the easiest to remove in this shift of power."

"And the Prince?"

"Being taken care of as we speak. He will soon be joining his father in the Underworld."

Morior could not help but grin as he nodded. "Good." Not wanting to linger in the same room as his brother's corpse any longer than necessary. They had lingered too long for his liking now. Matters could still go awry. Being so close now, he did not want any of his plans to go astray.

"However..." At Viduo's word, Morior halted again. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The younger brother turned and looked back to the King of Tenebrae. "Should that part of the agreement fail, the blame would be on you, not me."

"Me?" scoffed Morior. "How exactly would it be _my_ fault?"

"If the information about the Crystal was wrong—"

"I gave you _all_ the information that I could. There are still things that _we_ don't even know about our Crystal, or its Protectors. Yet, despite all that power, Noctis is able to use, he is still just a man. And, like any man, he is mortal." His dark eyes glanced down to Regis' prone body, the blood pool no longer spreading. "And every mortal can be killed."

* * *

_Another night, another dream, another nightmare. The faces surrounded the Prince, filling every nook and cranny of his vision. Wherever he turned, there were more faces. Faces everywhere, and anywhere. Some of them felt more familiar than he would have liked to admit. Perhaps they were the faces of those that he had seen in the Underworld, that last time, and that was why they looked familiar. Those faces that once looked on at him and his friends with morbid curiosity now looked to him with only morbid gazes, their faces slowly twisting and becoming another nightmare that he wished would just end._

_ As he tried to look away, a new face caught his attention. It worked its way through the murky crowd, that almost merged into a single mass at some points, right into his vision. Noctis gasped, wanting to pull away and reel back, but he could not. The mass of faces around him pushed in on him, keeping him in place and unable to move away. He was forced to stay there and witness the new face, one he knew and recognized all too well._

_ His voice was dry and breaking when he managed to utter, "Father...?"_

_ Clutching his eyes shut tight, Noctis gripped his hair and shook his head vehemently. It had to be a figment of his imagination. He had to be wrong. The faces around him were not those from the Underworld. The faces around him did not belong to those who were dead. The King... His father... It was a lie. His father was still alive. It was just a nightmare, a really, really bad nightmare that he would soon leave behind when he awakened._

_ "Run."_

_ Noctis nearly opened his eyes, but did not for fear of seeing his father's face morphing into twisted torment before him. In his nightmares, it was the first time any voice had called out to him, let alone a voice of warning. As if he needed to know that he should run. If the faces would not continually surround him, he would gladly run._

_ "Run! Something is wrong!" shouted the voice again, closer. Noctis' brow furrowed in confusion, his eyes still shut tight. That voice... He knew that voice._

_ "Noct, please, you must wake up!"_

_ That was it. His eyes snapped open and was met by white. White that had once scared and unsettled him, but now that white brought him joy that managed to lump somewhere in his throat. His mouth opened to utter her name, but no noise came out, everything having been blocked by that lump of confused joy in his throat._

_ "Wake up!"_

Noctis bolted upright from his bed, breathing hard. A nightmare had never ended so suddenly. It left him feeling more hollow and exhausted than normal. Yet, despite that discomfort, and the feeling of dread that began to creep over him, he managed to smile.

"Niveus," he whispered, regaining control of his breathing. Since returning the Crystal to Lucis over a year ago, he had only had but a few dreams where Niveus' white tresses and pale eyes had graced his company, but none since the nightmares began. And, even then, they were no more than dreams.

"Run..."

That was what she had told him. Noctis looked up to the darkness of his room and uttered the word again. That feeling of dread grew, and now he knew the source: The Crystal, Niveus, was in distress. Quickly dressing, he decided upon his course of action. First, he would check on his father, it would take no more than a few minutes, and then he would see what was tormenting Niveus so. Though he would normally see to the Crystal without hesitation, the sickening feeling that gnawed at him in the pit of his stomach after having seen his father's face amongst the others took priority. He had to know.

A knocking came from his door before he could get to it. It was no knock from any of the other staff that worked at the palace, nor was it a knock from his friends, or even his father. It was a resounding knock that quickly turned into a harsh pounding before the door was knocked down.

Men wearing armour that he was not familiar with burst into his room. A small group, but they did not hesitate to attack. Had Noctis still been asleep, he would have been dead. Silent bullets whizzed past him, hitting the walls, the bed, and the shield of weapons that he had brought forward to defend himself.

Grunting, he collapsed to one knee. No bullet had hit him, there was no piercing of flesh and fiery pain that came with such a wound, but he could feel himself being drained nonetheless. It was subtle, but the shock of such a sensation had sent him to the ground, the weapons around him faltering as a result.

Something was interfering with his abilities.

Before he lost any more control, Noctis gritted his teeth, dashed to his window, and broke through the glass without hesitation. Let him go where those at his door could not follow; it was his only option. Once close enough to the ground, he teleported, but things went awry. Whatever had affected his abilities still had some lingering hold on him, and caused him to reappear higher up than he would have liked. The tumble to the ground hurt, and left him groaning before he pushed himself back up.

Knowing that his father had been working late that night, he hurried as fast as he could towards the Council Room. The further away that he got from those men, the more he could feel his powers returning to their normal level. It was but a small reassurance in that darkening time.

Even with his abilities at his disposal, reaching his destination took far longer than he would have liked. The halls were empty, not a good sign at all.

"Father?" he called out, racing towards the Council Room. "_Dad_!" He burst through the doors and into the room guarded only by the onyx statues and stopped dead in his tracks. "No..."

There was his father, lying dead on the ground. His fears had come true.

"No!" Crying out in protest, he rushed to his father's side, but there was nothing he could do. He could only see those that passed into the Underworld. He could not stop their passage, especially when it was already too late. There was no way to bring his father back. The King... The King of Lucis was gone.

_Run!_

The faint voice in the back of his mind brought him back from the brink of despair. Breathing hard, he looked up to see if there was any sign of Niveus, but she was no where to be found. The cry of distress that came from the Crystal, however, only grew worse. His father may have been dead, but there was still one life that he could protect.

Noctis pulled out his phone and dialled while he returned to the streets. Things were far quieter than they should have been, and it unsettled him.

_"Noctis, do you have any idea what time—"_

"Get the others and meet me at the Temple," Noctis nearly shouted, cutting off the drowsy voice of Ignis on the other side.

_"What?"_ Ignis' voice lost its hint of tiredness.

"Hurry! There are guys trying to kill me, someone has already murdered—" For a moment, his voice choked up. "Murdered the King, and now the Crystal is in danger!"

There was silence on the other end, and for a moment, Noctis thought his friend had dropped the phone in a hurry to leave. But, he was wrong. _"Are you serious?"_

"Of course I'm serious!" Noctis shouted back. "I've had bullets flying by me. I just saw my father lying _dead_. And now something is threatening the Crystal!" The call ended, Ignis not needing to hear any more. Noctis slipped his phone away and hurried on.

His memories flew back to over a year ago, back when Creon's men had been infiltrating their home and had threatened the Crystal. He could only hope that he would get there in time to stop whatever was planned.

The Temple finally came into view, and he ceased his teleporting. The guards were there, but no looters or pillagers. In fact, it was quite calm, and definitely calmer than anything else that had happened that night. Nothing matched the distressed feeling that the Crystal was still sending out to him.

"Prince Noctis!" murmured the guards when he neared for inspection. They glanced to each other nervously while the Prince eyed them suspiciously. In all of his years as a Protector, a l'Cie to their Crystal, he had never seen any of the guards in front of him before. Each one was a new face hidden behind a mask of shadows and unfamiliarity. That unfamiliarity made Noctis' skin crawl and caused his feelings to synch with that of the Crystal.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" questioned another of one of the suspicious guards. Movement to the side caught Noctis attention. Yet another one of the guards shifted away and seemed to be talking on a cellphone.

Noctis focused his attention back on the second guard. Others were muttering amongst themselves, all the while eyeing the Prince back. "I wish to see the Crystal."

"Why is that?"

"I wish to see it." Noctis' mouth formed a thin line. Not only was he a Prince, but he was a Protector of the Crystal, a l'Cie to the fragmented soul of the fal'Cie that still remained within. As such, he should need no reason, let alone have to explain it to anyone else, to see the ancient guardian.

"I-I'm afraid we can't let you do that, your highness." The unfamiliar guards began to act, slowly moving in closer towards Noctis.

"And why not?"

The guard shifted sightly. "We can't allow you in."

_Run!_

The warning was heard, and Noctis stepped into action, as did the unfamiliar guards. They charged at him, but he was too quick. The Prince teleported away, but quickly returned and kicked at the nearest guard's legs, sending the man tumbling to the ground where the impact knocked him cold. Part of Noctis wanted to attack. Part of him wanted kill them if they were part of the plot that seemed to be unfurling that night. They had wanted to kill him. They had wanted to hurt the Crystal. They had... Noctis' anger flared. They had murdered his father.

Despite all that anger, despite all that rage and frustration flowing through his veins, he managed to only knock them unconscious. His weapons acted only as a shield when needed, and moved to hide out of sight once more after all the guards had been rendered inert.

Noctis panted hard, trying to calm his anger. He could still end their lives... It would be such a simple task.

_What are you still doing? Get out of here!_

Her voice in his head brought him back to reality. A disgusted glare was sent to the unconscious men before he hurried up into the Temple. The truth behind their plans could wait, as much as he disliked the notion. So he ran, as fast as he could, until he reached the room that held the Crystal.

It was still there.

Niveus was still safe.

Noctis stared at the Crystal, trying to see if there was anything wrong. Its pulse, that familiar glow that gave hint to the life behind it, was a little more erratic than usual, almost matching the pace of his own racing heart. Otherwise, it looked completely normal. There were no cracks, or any signs of it shattering like it had over a year ago. There was no tampering. There was...nothing. Out of everything that he had seen that night, the sight of the Crystal was by far the most relieving and reassuring.

A soft sigh escaped him as he walked forward, reaching out to place a hand on the cool surface of the Crystal. The ridges and imperfections were just as they should be. Despite all the horrors of that night, he managed a smile.

The Crystal began to glow brighter, its cool surface becoming warm. Noctis' brow furrowed in confusion, such a phenomenon had never occurred before, at least not in his memory.

"Wha..."

His unasked question was cut short when a pain surged in the back of his mind. There it flared and spread to his entire body, the pain feeling like searing daggers piercing his skin and mind alike. It hurt so much that he was sent to his knees, the weight of the power flowing into him too much for him to bear. That power, that consciousness that now pervaded his mind, he knew it, in normally a smaller amount, but he knew it. So much power, so much strength, it was far more than his mortal form could handle. Like the previous time it had occurred, the full power of the Crystal caused him to crumble to the ground and slip into unconscious land.

* * *

_Eyes slowly opened, not being met by the mass of faces that turned into the perverse substance of nightmares. Rather, they were met by dozens upon dozens of little blades of grass, which did not become twisted like the dozens of faces that he was accustomed to in his dreams. Blinking, Noctis dared to venture his gaze higher, not knowing what lay beyond those blades of grass, and saw pure white._

_ Snow laced the grass, sprinkling the lush green with glistening white. The snowflakes sparkled, making it look like a sheet of precious gems. Noctis closed his eyes, fearing to open them again and seeing the faces from the Underworld, or worse, the Underworld itself. Those green blades of grass cast his memories back to the golden and green fields of that one haven at the end of all things, where he had met Etro._

_ At last, he dared to open his eyes again, and was still met by the blades of grass topped with snow before pushing himself up from the ground. Despite there being snow all around him, it was oddly warm. The snow was not cold, or even wet, to the touch. It was an odd dream, even for him, but it was still better than those morbid faces that plagued his recent nightmares._

_ Spread out before him were more of the fields of green and white. Hills rolled up and down, merging into snow-capped mountains that rested far in the distance. The landscape was foreign to him, different from anywhere he had seen on Domumna, Zenn'thus, or even the Underworld. While new and unfamiliar to him in any respect, the scenery was still comforting to his troubled mind._

_ "You fool," muttered a voice from behind. Whipping around, Noctis saw the lone tree that rose up in the fields of grass and snow. Its large boughs held up lush, green leaves, easily as large as a grown person's hand. Like the grass all around him, the tree was also sprinkled with snow, creating a rather odd mix of seasons. That, however, was not what caught Noctis' attention, it was, instead, the woman who sat on one of the low branches._

_ Head resting against the trunk of the tree, a soft smile greeted him, as well as a sombre look behind her pale eyes. She visibly sighed, shaking her head at him as much as at herself. "I told you to run."_

_ "Niveus," he murmured, unable to take his eyes off of her. The apparent smile tugged at her lips briefly before she jumped from the branch and landed on the snow-covered ground. Noctis did not break his gaze from her, not for a moment. Were he to look away, or even blink, he feared that she would disappear like all other dreams that had had her in them. Unable to restrain from blinking any more, he finally gave in, and to his surprise, she was still there, walking towards him. He opened his mouth to speak, to greet her, ask her a barrage of questions, or even just say a simple "hello", but no noise made it past his lips._

_ "But I should have known that you would have come." She chuckled lightly. Upon hearing that simple sound, Noctis found himself smiling sombrely. It felt like it had been so long since he had heard that light chuckle, one that saw the wonder in a world that, for many years, he and others had taken for granted, and he had missed it more than he realized. "You're you, after all." The white-haired woman reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Noctis felt his throat tighten up. His mind screamed at him to give her a welcoming hug, for he was finally able to see her again after over a year, but his body would not respond to his mind. "At least, this way, I can help you now. But you need to wake up, all right? You still should run."_

Noctis opened his eyes and was met by the cool floor of the Temple. The light that was normally ever-present was gone, for when he looked up, he saw that the Crystal was no longer there. Panicking, the Prince rose when his head throbbed and he stumbled. The power of their ancient guardian was within him, like it had been before it last entered the Underworld, and it caused him momentary discomfort by making his head spin.

Footsteps echoed somewhere, sounding foggy and muffled in his stuffed mind, when there was a loud whacking noise followed by a thud. Turning around, he saw his friends standing over a crumbled body of one of those unfamiliar guards.

"Y'know, that's twice now I've saved your life in this place. I think you may be slipping, Noct," smirked Prompto, slinging his gun over his shoulder. "But, that's a minor point... Where the _hell_ is our Crystal?" he shouted instead, pointing over the Prince's shoulder. "Did it shatter? Don't tell me we have to go collecting all those blasted shards _again_!"

"No! No, no, no. No." Noctis held up his hands and shook frantically, trying to reassure his blond friend before the young man went off on a rampage. "It did not shatter."

"Then where is it?" Prompto frowned before looking around. "Is Niveus somewhere?"

"No," responded Noctis slowly, glimpsing around to make certain that the white-haired woman was not emerging from the shadows somewhere. "She... The Crystal's with me again."

"You mean like what happened last year?" questioned Gladiolus.

The Prince nodded at his scarred friend. "I-I think so."

"Well, at least your eyes aren't freaky this time!" laughed the blond.

"Noct, is it... Is it true? Your father?" Ignis' expression was grim.

A lump formed and twisted in his gut as the all-too recent images of his father's bloodied corpse resurfaced, still lying there, possibly unknown to others. "It is," choked Noctis. His moment of sorrow was washed away when a wave of rage rolled in. "I'll find out who did it! I'll kill them for what they did!" Infuriated beyond belief, he stormed towards the exit. He did not care how long it would take, or how hard it would be to find the mastermind behind it all, he would hold those guilty accountable for what they had done, and his newly granted power would help to see it through. Despite his determination, those stairs were not getting any closer. "Let me go!" he shouted, struggling against his friends who held him back. "I said, let me _go_!"

"Stop this, Noctis!" Ignis ordered sternly. "You said they were after you. The fake guards here only helped prove that point. You have _no_ idea who to trust. You have no idea where to start."

"I don't care! I'll take them all on!"

"Even with the full power of the Crystal on your side, you're not that strong, Noct."

His struggling ceased, though his friends still made certain that he did not try to dash away. "What...what do I do?"

"Run. Get out of here while you can to somewhere safe." A gasp slipped past his lips at Ignis' words that were almost the same as Niveus'. That was why she had been so distraught, not for her life, but for his. "As long as you stay, your life is in danger. It's not just your life any more, but Niveus' as well as long as the Crystal's power is with you."

"But what of Lucis?" asked Prompto, glancing to where the Crystal normally rested. "If Noct leaves with the Crystal, it—"

"It'll survive long enough for us to find out what's really going on and return. Our kingdom will be fine, but we won't be if we stay much longer. We need to go _now_."

As much as Noctis disliked the idea of running away, he grudgingly accepted. Not only was his trusted friend and adviser telling him to go, but so too had Niveus. If he stayed, he would not succeed anywhere as long as he was blinded by rage over his father's death. It would take time for that anger to subside, and in that time, they would have to find out the roots of the upheaval from elsewhere. Together, the friends left the Temple behind, Ignis leading the way for, as expected from him, the bespectacled man had already devised a plan.

They stuck to the less-travelled streets, not wanting to draw unwanted attention. Noctis even managed to restrain from using the power that flowed through him, lest it give away their position and plan. It made him appreciate just how large the city was, being forced to travel through it completely on foot. More and more of the night slipped away, until, eventually, Noctis recognized their destination.

The air hanger for all of the airships loomed ahead. It was not the tallest of buildings in the area, but still large and recognizable. Even at night, it had activity, not the same amount as the airport that held the airships for public transportation, but still some. A massive ship rose up and started off towards the horizon, leaving behind the massive drone from the machine. Ignis continued to lead the way into the hanger until they came upon a familiar airship which still had to be repaired and upgraded before Noctis or the others ever felt completely safe on it.

"Now, what was so important that you had to wake me up at this odd hour?" yawned Cid. Valan was near the elder brother, his eyes mostly lidded in his own drowsy state.

"You need to get Noctis out of here," informed Ignis, stepping to the side,e The skycaptain lazily slammed on a switch on the side of _Daedalus_. With a light amount of whirring and protest from the creaking machinery, the hatch opened and the ramp lowered allowing them access aboard the old airship.

"All right, all right. Where to?"

Figuring that Ignis had planned everything, Noctis looked to his bespectacled friend who stared back before shrugging. "I don't know where you'll be headed, nor should I know."

"Wait, what?" questioned Noctis, scrunching his face in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I won't be joining you."

"What!" blurted Prompto. "You gotta be joking! Why the hell not?"

"I'll be staying here to try and find out what's going on. Listen. Hear that? Lucis is far too quiet for what's happened. Some part of it has to be internal corruption of sorts. Hurry up and go. Once I find something out, I'll come find you."

Noctis tried to stare down his friend for a time, but it was a futile task when against Ignis. His bespectacled friend's gaze could rival that of his father's at times, and in a way it was worse to have it come from such a close friend. When that look came, there was no arguing. With a sigh, Noctis grudgingly nodded before heading to the airship, Prompto following, while Gladiolus, on the other hand, remained still.

"This has to be one of your dumbest plans yet," murmured Gladiolus, his voice as stern as his expression.

Ignis, rather than trying to stare down another friend, smirked. "Yeah, but it's still better than one any of you would have come up with. Now get going." With a huff, the scarred friend scurried onto _Daedalus_, the two brothers clambering on after and sealing the hatch, leaving Ignis to remain in Lucis alone.

"So you have all the money you get from working for Lucis now, and yet you still haven't upgraded this ship?" asked Prompto after nearly tripping over some loose wiring.

"You don't mess with a work of art!" snapped back Cid before taking the Captain's chair, Valan already having gone off to the engine room.

"Yeah, but this is a piece of trash," mumbled the blond quietly.

"So! Where do you want to go?" asked the skycaptain, suppressing another yawn.

"Anywhere's good for now. Just get us out of Lucis. Unless you had someplace in mind, Noct. Noct?Ah, of course he just went off on his own." The three looked around, but the Prince had already took his leave.

"Is everything all right with him?" Buttons and switches were pressed and flicked to bring _Daedalus_ to life. The old airship rumbled and groaned before gradually rising into the air.

"Well, considering his father was just murdered, with his life wanted too, and who-knows-what planned for the Crystal," listed off Gladiolus, sighing through his nose. "I doubt it."

His blood still boiling from the events of the night, Noctis had slipped off on his own while the airship rose to life around him. Deciding anything now while he was so infuriated would not do any of them any good, and without Ignis with them, there was no voice of reason. Prompto and Gladiolus could easily get caught up in whatever crazed plan he created, just so long as they protected him. Sleep would possibly help calm his nerves, and so he returned to the cabin that had been his before, and fell onto the bed without worrying about removing any of his clothes, or even his boots. He just wanted to sleep.

* * *

_Eyes slowly opened and he was met by the sight of the snow-sprinkled fields from before, his body resting against that lone tree rather than lying in the grass, no faces from the Underworld plaguing him. There was a cool breeze, feeling more like a sea breeze than anything else despite no sea being anywhere near._

_ "I'm so sorry," murmured her voice softly. At first, he looked up back to those snow-laden branches, expecting her to have been sitting in those leafy boughs again, but she was no where above him. Instead, the white-haired woman was sitting next to him, staring across the wide open fields to the mountains far off in the distance. "About your father," continued Niveus. "I couldn't warn him like I could you."_

_ "That wasn't your fault," responded Noctis when he managed to collect his voice. He closed his eyes, trying to force the image of his father's face far away and out of reach. Thinking about Regis now would only make matters worse, and that was not his wish. Rather, he tried to focus on the woman that he had wanted to see or hear from again for over a year, now that she was finally with him again. "What is this place? Why are you here?" he managed to ask instead after clearing his throat, hoping that change of topic would lead him well enough away from the events of the night._

_ She glanced at him, smiling. "Do you like it? It's my place. My mind. My soul. Think of it as you will."_

_ "I would have thought that would look more like Erebus." He frowned thoughtfully. The only time that he had been anywhere near the mind of Lucis' Crystal was when they had faced Hitomi. That ruined landscape, with the sky locked in the golden hour of twilight draped behind the city, had been the Crystal's original home. It was a distant cry from the snowy fields and mountains that he now saw before him._

_ "That was Osana's place, not mine." She looked down to her hands, studying them as though doing so studied her own existence. "There have been other times that the fragment of Osana's soul that resides within your Crystal showed itself to others in your kingdom's past. It's strange, I have vague recollection of those times,but I know they're not my own memories, similar to the battle between the fal'Cie and those that used The Light against them. But those times that the fragment showed itself, it was much more Osana. But then there was me..."_

_ She gripped her hands together, fingers lacing across one another. "I was shattered, broken, incomplete. Through my experiences during the journey with you, I became...me."_

_ "Can't you help us again like that? I mean, however it is...you...would do that..." Noctis found his face contorting in confusion. He really had no idea how the Crystal showed the fragmented soul of Osana._

_ "It wouldn't be me," she answered with a shrug. "It would be the normal fragment of Osana's soul that remains. I can only be here and talk to you because you're a l'Cie. If the others were l'Cie, then I could do the same with them, but I can't give them that power now in my current state."_

_ "At least you're still here with us." Trying to cheer her up, he nudged her lightly. Even if it was only in a small way, she was with them again. "So...what happens next?"_

_ "I don't know. I do know that you should get some rest. You're safe now."_

_ Frowning, Noctis stared at Niveus for a long time. He remained silent, not saying a word while she silently returned his gaze before she tilted her head in that familiar manner. "Will you still be here?" he finally asked in response to her unvoiced question._

_ She smiled. "Always."_

_ Reassured, he managed to lean back against the trunk of the tree and close his eyes. It did not take long for the world around him to slip away as he reached a deep slumber. _

* * *

A loud yawn escaped Noctis, waking him up. He stayed as he were, eyes closed and curled up tight, not wanting to face reality and the fact that he was merely in a cabin on _Daedalus_, not by the lone tree in the snow-covered fields. He did not want to be in reality. Reality was that his father was now dead, there was a plot to overthrow power in Lucis, and he had to leave his kingdom, and one of his best friends, behind. Reality was not what he wanted, but it was his life, and he was stuck with it.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared at the far wall of his cabin lit by the morning light that trickled in through the window, no snow-capped mountains in the distance. The old airship was silent, no humming or the light vibration that came with it flying through the air. Everything was still and silent, and, at last, he felt rested. The nightmarish faces had not invaded his mind like previous nights. In the safety of Niveus' haven, nothing had been able to disturbed him. With a sigh, he managed to push himself from the bed, got up, and took to the bridge of the airship.

"Morning, Princess," greeted Prompto, having taken the other chair while Cid was at his usual station and Gladiolus leaned against a nearby panel, being careful not to accidentally touch any switches or buttons. Noctis could only grunt lightly in greeting. He knew his blond friend was only trying to keep the mood cheery, but Noctis felt more glum than anything. The anger had subsided, but it was still there within him acting as crackling embers ready to flare up into an inferno with the right kindling.

"I've taken us into Accordo for the time being. Any idea where you want to go now?" asked Cid, swivelling around in his chair.

Noctis glanced out the front window. No cities or towns were nearby, just the empty landscape that rolled by, a forest rising up nearby. While they were safely away, Ignis was back in Lucis, trying to find out just what had happened. There he was again, doing all the work for them while they were running and hiding. The Prince had to do something more than just sitting around in the shadows waiting for news. There had to be a way for them to delve into the corrupted depths and find the truth from a safe distance, no matter how ugly it may be. Perhaps not by retrieving that information themselves, but acquiring someone else who would be help. Someone who had a great network by which to access all sorts of information.

"Say, Cid," started Noctis, trying to quickly judge how insane or crazy his idea may seem. "Do you know where we could reach the Black Bandits' leader, Saul?"

* * *

**A/N:** That's three characters from LC brought back! Okay, so only two reappear in this chapter and the third's mentioned. But even more will be making their appearances throughout. I ended up liking this chapter less than I thought I would, and it gave me trouble; still home some of you liked it xP

Just a note, I got some work with deadlines to meet, so writing may be a little slower over the next few weeks. I'll still try to aim for weekly-ish updates for the rest of my summer, but apologies in advance if a longer wait finds its way in. Don't worry, I'm pretty much focused on this story now and will keep writing when I can.


	6. Corruption That Lies Within

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait, but here's the next chapter! Well, enjoy!

VI

_Corruption That Lies Within_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a sec. Back up," started Prompto, rising from his chair. "Noct, buddy, pal. I know things have been rough on you recently, but that's no excuse for spewing out crazy hair-brained plans!"

Noctis frowned and crossed his arms. "What would you suggest we do?"

"What about going to one of the other kingdoms? Or even head on over to somewhere in Zenn'thus to wait out this mess. I'll take anywhere over seeing that sadistic bastard again."

"Who knows what the other kingdoms would do with us," commented Gladiolus, shifting slightly. "Niflheim is still under suspicion. And all of this happened after allying with Tenebrae, so who knows if even they are connected to the murder or not. Travelling all the way to Zenn'thus would be too far and too out of the way, even if it would be safe, for Ignis to contact us when needed."

Scrunching his face together, Prompto looked around the confines of the bridge. "Did Ignis stowaway somewhere after all? 'Cause it sure sounds like he's here! Though I don't think he'd agree to going after the Black Bandits. Why in blazes would you guys even _consider_ going to find Saul? There _has_ to be something better we can do!"

"We should try to get information," responded Noctis. "Ignis is doing what he can in Lucis, I think we should do our part out here. Gladiolus is right, there's no telling what the other kingdoms would do with us. If it wasn't Niflheim that attacked us, it could be any of the others."

"And so you think going to _Saul_ is the best plan? Do you even remember what that guy and his men _did_ to us?"

Noctis grimaced and shuddered at the memories resurfacing. Being kidnapped, bound up, and tortured was not high on his list of fond trips down memory lane. In fact, he tried his hardest to forget that time, and the nightmares of his both during that journey and the recent plague of faces had helped to keep them far back in his mind and not high priority. However, those memories, and the pain that came with them, were rushing back to him. "Yeah, I remember," he answered sourly.

"Really now? Because what you're suggesting makes it seems like you don't!"

"Saul works outside the kingdoms!" Noctis retorted back, his voice rising louder than he would have liked when just discussing matters with a friend. "He's probably the only person we can trust now... Which is really quite sad, when you think about it... He did help us once before, though, so maybe he'll do so again..."

"Yeah, only helped us because it worked in his favour."

The silent voice amongst them finally spoke up: "I've worked for Saul before."

All eyes fell onto Cid, who was leaning casually back in his chair, eyeing the friends trying to persuade one another with amused curiosity. The young skycaptain tapped a finger steadily, his eyes briefly glancing out the window before shifting back to the Prince.

"Wait... Are you actually part of the Black Bandits?" spat Prompto, reaching for his weapon.

Cid barked a laugh and dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. "No, no. I've just done the odd job for him here and there."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not picky when it comes to my work, and he pays quite well, actually. But, either way, I'd probably be able to help you guys have him at least listen to you. Beyond that is outta my hands, though."

"So you know where to find him?" asked Noctis, hope managing to return when it had all but been snuffed out the previous night. If he could just talk with Saul, then there might be a chance to get the information that he wanted.

A nervous chuckle escaped the skycaptain. "Well, see, there's the slight bump in the road. Saul or his men would come find me, not the other way around. I have no idea where to start looking for him."

Noctis sighed and slumped against the door frame. A momentary glimpse of hope that was once again gone.

"Well, where does he contact you, then?" asked Gladiolus.

"Atherna, mainly, since that's where Valan and I stay between jobs. Why, you want to head there and wait? Who knows if word's gotten to him that I currently work for Lucis or not. He may no longer try to contact me. Ever. Besides, there's no telling when he would contact me if he needed something. Could be a day. Could be a month. Could be a year."

"Which would be exactly why we don't wait. We've met Saul there before, maybe we'll get lucky again. If not, Cid, think you could at least get a message to the Black Bandits?"

Cid absentmindedly scratched his cheek, pursing his lips together to form a thin line. "Probably. I mean, again, I have no idea how long it'd take to hear from him."

"That doesn't matter now," replied Noctis. "What's done is done." The young Prince grimaced. Part of him wanted to rush back to Lucis, to start a search there, and find the people responsible. He did not want to search for the man who had kidnapped and tortured them the previous year, and even then, the side that wanted revenge on the leader was struggling to break free. Yet, if he were to return home at that time, he would undo all the work his friends had done to keep him safe. Prompto and Gladiolus for staying with him. Ignis for remaining in Lucis, despite what dangers still lay there in wait, to find the source of the corruption. Even Niveus, for warning him from the looming threat in the shadows, despite whatever danger was present for her. "Take us to Atherna."

"Right-o, Mr. Prince." Cid swivelled around in the captain's chair after giving a lazy salute and opened up the comm system. "Hey, Valan?" There was nothing but silence when the skycaptain awaited a response. "Valan. Valan, wake up!"

There was a long pause before rather annoyed, _"What?!"_ shouted over the comm system, the speakers crackling from the force.

"That's enough beauty sleep for now, brother. Fire her up. We're heading back to Atherna."

_"Ah, what's this? One death and we're already running back home? Man, and just when I was getting used to the abundance of parts in Lucis, too."_

"It's just temporary," reassured Cid while he began the start-up procedure on his end. "We're going to try to contact the Black Bandits."

_"Are you kidding me?"_ asked the younger Caldwell brother, the unamused tone in his voice even making it over the rusty comm system.

"Nope."

_"This was their idea. Wasn't it."_

"Yep."

_"...Shit."_

"Just helping out how we can with another job, Valan. It's no different than any other time."

_"Are we getting paid for all this?"_

Cid opened his mouth to respond, but closed it quickly, letting out an odd huff instead. The skycaptain looked over his shoulder. "Are we?"

"Eventually," grunted Gladiolus. Noctis, on the other hand, shifted and looked anywhere but the elder brother. There was no way of knowing, at the moment, when they would be able to return to Lucis, if that possibility was even still in their future.

"Uh-huh..." Cid sucked on his teeth and gave the scarred man a flat stare before focusing back on the consoles. "You bet. And paid rather royally, too."

_"You suck at lying, you know that, right?"_

"Ahah. You're so funny, Valan. Get to work."

_"This is why I always beat you at cards!"_ the young brother manage to get his final words in before Cid shut off the comm system from his end.

"What was that about?" asked Prompto while _Daedalus_ stirred from its slumber.

"We practice cards so we can hustle for money when work is low," the skycaptain answered with a shrug. "And I don't lose all the time!"

"Not _that_. Why didn't Valan seem to like us going to find Saul?"

"Oh. Valan just doesn't like dealing with him all that much."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"Anyway, it'll take a few hours before we reach Atherna. If you don't mind, I'm not about to push the engines."

"No rush," muttered Noctis. The rush had ended the previous night. He turned to quietly slip away, wanting to get at least a little more rest before they reached the coastal city. If he was no longer going to be plagued by those nightmares, then he had a lot of catching up to do with his sleep.

"Hey, Noct?" started his scarred friend before he could even leave the bridge. Turning back around, the Prince silently raised his eyebrows in question. "The Crystal's still with you, right?" Once more, Noctis only gave a silent answer with a nod of his head. "Does that mean Niveus is with you?"

In the hassle of the night and then his desire to rest, he had not had the chance to explain what had happened to her. So he took that moment then to tell him what he knew and understood, which, granted, was not much, but it was still a level of reassurance for his friends.

Prompto snorted a snicker. "Noctis has a girl in him," he muttered cheekily.

"Prompto," groaned Noctis, unable to come up with any better retort shy of walking over to his friend and bonking the blond on the head. At times, albeit most times, it felt like the blond had stopped maturing in his teens, and possibly even regressed a little.

Gladiolus, who surprisingly ignored Prompto, then asked, "Is she able to help us again like last time?"

"No," sighed the Prince. "It wouldn't be her if she did."

"Niveus! Don't let this idiot get you in danger!"

"Hey!" Noctis swiftly shoved his blond friend away before any more shouting could be done into his ear. Grumbling under his breath, he rubbed his ear and shot a glare at Prompto.

"Think she heard me?" asked the blond brightly.

"I wish _I_ couldn't hear you! Bah, just get me when we reach Atherna, okay?"

"Noctis?"

"_What_?" snapped the Prince, rounding back around again before he could finally leave. He quickly cleared his throat and muttered an apology when he saw the grim look on Cid's face.

"I'm sorry you had to lose your father like you did. Losing on parent is bad enough, but both..."

Noctis felt his voice catch in his throat. Out of everyone currently on _Daedalus_, Cid and Valan were the only ones who had an inkling of an understanding for what Noctis was going through. The Caldwell brothers had also lost their parents, at even younger ages than the Prince.

"Thank you," he managed to murmur before finally leaving for his cabin.

* * *

Ignis stared grimly at the mournful crowd that had gathered. Though it was not a funeral, many wore black. Cameras were rolling and press had gathered as closely as they could to where Morior and the guards stood. It was two days after the murder of not only King Regis, but, as Ignis found out, much to his discomfort, the Councilmen as well. All except Morior...

The bespectacled man shot a steely glance to the new ruler of Lucis from his location in the crowd. It could not have been a coincidence. Perhaps Morior had managed to escaped harm, like Noctis, but Ignis could not erase the growing doubt at the back of his mind. All had been too quiet during that night, leading him to suspect betrayal from within Lucis rather than some kingdom that wanted their Crystal. A survivor, no matter how revered, was always a suspect.

"People of Lucis, a terrible fate has befallen our kingdom," started Morior, his voice echoing loudly through the speakers that had been set up. "As you know by now, our beloved King, my beloved brother, has passed away. The Councilmen who aided him are also gone from us. These deaths, as you may have suspected, were murders."

Murmurs rose up from the crowd. The matter of Regis' death had managed to stay concealed from the public during the past couple days. The only reason Ignis had known was because of Noctis, or else, even despite his job and position, he would have been kept in the dark as well.

"Not only have these deaths caused a weakening blow to us, but, as you may have also begun to suspect, our Crystal has been taken." Even more murmurs rose from the crowd, some angered and some sad. "I am saddened to say that these atrocities were able to occur because of one of our own, one that we also loved and held in high esteem. Prince Noctis, in league with Niflheim, brought about the death of his father and the Councilmen. After his deed was done, he stole the Crystal and fled Lucis."

An uproar rose from the crowd. Wails of disbelief and anger filled the air, the people unable to believe the words given to them. Ignis remained silent, his glare and frown deepening, hidden well by all the people around him that now wore similar expressions, if only for different reasons. Noctis had hardly been the one to bring about Regis' murder, and would not even be capable of such a task. The suspicions that had been flickering away inside of the bespectacled man only grew, but he would need more than suspicions. He needed proof. And that proof had to be kept only to himself, for there was no one else that he could now trust.

Morior gestured his hands for the crowd to quiet. After some time, the angry uproar simmered down until the voice over the speakers could be heard again. "We have all been cut deep by this treachery. Myself, most of all. But I will not let Lucis fall. We must rise up and strike back at this betrayal! With our new allies in Tenebrae, we will strike against Niflheim for what they have done!"

Ignis felt his voice catch in his throat, remaining silent while the crowd of gathered people first murmured quietly in confusion before rising up in cheers. He should have heard of such a decision. Perhaps not have had a say in it, since the future of Lucis was not his responsibility, but, somewhere along the line, he should have been informed before the general public. He could almost accept keeping the murder hushed for the past couple days, but he could not accept the new path Morior had laid out for Lucis, or the blame of it being put on Noctis.

"Lucis will not remain in the shadows," continued the new ruler. "We must show the other kingdoms that we can control our own fates! We will seek justice against those that have turned against us! Help me, and I will lead our kingdom to a new and brighter future. The road to that future may be dark and paved with hardship, but, by the light of our Crystal, we shall prevail!"

The crowd cheered, strung along perfectly by Morior's words and the desire for revenge. Ignis, however, did not join in the cheers. How could he? Barely any time had passed since Regis' blood had spilled the ground and now Morior had gotten the people demanding more. As the crowd cheered and reporters tried to ask their barrage of questions, Ignis slipped quietly away.

He would have to find out what was waiting at the end of the mass of tangled threads, and quickly.

* * *

"For your claim that all mortals can be killed, Noctis certainly is an elusive man," commented Viduo over a class of wine.

Morior arched his eyebrow while he refilled his glass before settling back in his chair. Though King of Lucis now, he retained his office from before. He had taken time in getting everything the way that he liked it inside the rather spacious room (for an office), and he was not about to switch. Let everyone else worry about becoming accustomed with reaching the different room, for he should not have to worry about such trivial matters.

"Refining his skill in battle was the only stydy that he was good at, really," replied the new King, taking a long sip. "It is not my fault that your men were unable to complete their task because of that detail. You did say the device seemed to work, after all. He had been unable to use his abilities until farther away."

"To a degree. Only now it is impossible to improve the device, since he has taken your Crystal with him."

"A minor setback. There is still plenty of research that you can use, and that I can give you now that I'm King."

Viduo frowned. "You should have guarded the Crystal better against him."

"Why? Because he should have been dead at that point? Besides, you forget, the Crystal is alive in its own way. It knows when there is a threat present to it. Changing anything more than the guards might have alerted it. Noctis went there because, well, in the end, it's all he's ever cared about, even more so than the kingdom or the people."

"Will you be able to retrieve it? For if not, then our bargain—"

"Will be fulfilled, if just a little slower now. With Noctis now painted an enemy of the kingdom, we need only find him, take the Crystal back, and be done with him without the people even worrying. I've already sent out some groups in search. And, once you've taken what you needed from the Crystal, its time will also be over." Morior sighed and swirled his cup around, watching the dark liquid roll slowly. "We've clung onto that shard for far too long. People may think it helps us, brings us forward, but it has only held us back all these years. Your research into The Light is the future, and we shall show the world what it can do against Niflheim. A fitting judgement for that kingdom's role in the past against both of ours, and others, wouldn't you say?"

"Was declaring war so soon really such a good idea?"

"You heard the crowd's response. It is amazing what the death of one that they loved can do to rally a people to seek revenge. Besides, you know as well as I that the peace between kingdoms was a charade at best; a fool's mask ready to be thrown aside when the opportune moment arose while everyone let down their guards. As long as Lucis has a Crystal, there could be no peace. So we will merely make the first strike, and create our own opportune moment."

"Well, then I shall return to Tenebrae shortly to continue the plan from there."

"You may return," started Morior as Viduo began to rise, halting the King of Tenebrae. "But your daughter shall remain here for now." The new King simply continued to stare at his drink, not needing to look at Viduo to know that a masked glare was present.

"For whatever reason is that?"

"She wishes to use more of the Crystal's information to help further her research with The Light, does she not? What better place to accomplish that than where that information is located? She will have all that she needs. Until the Crystal is restored, of course. Then she may return to Tenebrae and the Crystal will be handed over to you for anything else that may be needed."

"...Of course."

Morior was no fool, and knew that Viduo was no fool either. Without the Crystal, he had to keep the tables tuned in his favour. Having Stella remain in Lucis would be weight enough for what he needed to ensure that Viduo did not back out of their agreement in case the Crystal was never returned.

He had planned everything for far longer than he wanted to admit. Nothing more could be left to chance.

* * *

Noctis leaned against a wall, having managed to find a patch of the ship that did not have something awkward protruding or dangling down and then digging into his back. Before him, seated at the table of _Daedalus_' kitchen, was Prompto, Gladiolus, and Valan, playing cards. Gladiolus had a fair size stack of the tokens that they were gambling with, while Valan had the most, and Prompto was left with only just a few more than a dozen. It was rather amusing to watch, actually, as long as one was not bleeding tokens like Prompto.

It had been over a week since their arrival to Atherna. Nothing much had changed about the coastal city, from what the Prince remembered. The salty sea breeze was refreshing, and he made certain that nothing on him could be stolen, not wanting to live through that experience again. Staying inside _Daedalus_ also helped with that, for he only slipped outside the airship, at most, once a day, and only then no more than an hour. While the local people, or even visitors, did not recognize him, he did not want to run the chance of blowing their cover. It was up to the others to deal with the Black Bandits.

"I told you that we play cards for extra pay, and yet you still challenged Valan?" asked Cid, entering the kitchen. He leaned against the frame of the door and arched an eyebrow to those gathered at the table who did not pay his question any heed.

"You managed to ping his radar of stupidity," commented Noctis, smirking in amusement while Prompto focused rather hard on the game at hand, not even noticing the remark made against him. The blond grinned and placed down a card.

The skycaptain neared the Prince, nodding. "That doesn't surprise me. But what about Gladiolus?"

"He got sucked into the stupid idea." Noctis found himself frowning, recalling events from the past and tallying as many as he could on his fingers until he ran out of digits. "Which happens quite often, now that I think about it. Prompto can be like a black hole at times."

"One that sucks you in as well?"

Noctis dipped his head in embarrassment. "More than I'd like to admit," he mumbled. "Unless Ignis is around to knock some sense into us."

"Guess we're doomed without him here, then." Cid let out a long sigh.

"Did you need something?" asked Noctis, changing the subject as he glanced to the skycaptain.

"Right! Actually, I got word back from the message I sent out last week. Looks like there's someone here who's willing to talk to you."

"It took them a week to tell us there was already somebody here?" asked Prompto, glancing up from his hand of cards after placing another down on the table. "Bit slow on the uptake, aren't they?"

"They may have just gotten here, for all I know. There wasn't much information. Whatever the case, you guys got your way in now."

"Is it Saul, or someone else?" enquired Gladiolus.

"Again, not much information, not even that. But if you want to talk, now's the time. The Black Bandits' member is waiting. Valan, you wanna come?"

The younger brother scoffed. "As if. Even if it's not Saul, no way am I going. Aha!"

"What?! How'd you win!" shouted Prompto, bolting up from his chair.

"Because I did." Valan smirked victoriously, raking in the tokens that had been wagered. "Look at the bright side: You can't lose any more now since you guys have to go."

"Yeah, but this isn't over!"

"It is for now," muttered Gladiolus, grabbing Prompto by the back of his vest and pulling the blond away before he demanded another match. Valan was left chuckling and counting his fake winnings while the others left.

Noctis and his friends followed Cid through the coastal city, working through streets that were crowded with people. With so many others present, he made certain to keep his head down, not wanting to be recognized, no matter how slim the chance. A restaurant rose up before them, appearing much more extravagant than he had expected for a meeting with one of the Black Bandits.

The hostess inside led them through the maze of tables towards the back of the building. Inside, the lighting was dark, helping the other few people present to feel like there was no one else while they enjoyed their meals.

"Ah, Cid. I do believe it's been a while," greeted a voice that made Noctis' skin want to crawl. He had not heard it many times, bit that sadistic, almost mocking, voice would forever be imprinted in his mind. The hostess bowed lightly and left them at the booth that was far too much for one person, even with all the plates scattered about. Saul placed down his knife and fork, glancing up to the four young men. "Has life in Lucis been treating you well?"

"Can't complain," answered the skycaptain with a shrug. Unlike Noctis and his friends, Cid was completely at ease in the presence of the Black Bandits' leader. Of course, he had not been through the same ordeal as the other three.

"And here we have Prince Noctis, and his friends. Prompto and Gladiolus, was it? Please, sit. Sit!"

Noctis eyed the booth and Saul warily while Cid took up the offer without hesitation. Glancing around the restaurant, he wondered just how many of the customers were actually part of the Black Bandits. As there was not much else they could do, the Prince and his friends took their seats, making sure to stay away from Saul as much as possible.

"Are you guys hungry?"

"Yes!" blurted out Prompto before Noctis, or Gladiolus, could decline the offer. "What? I'm hungry!" defended the blond when he saw the looks directed at him. Saul gestured for a waiter and placed and order for the four of them to share.

"So, I hear you wanted to talk to me?" Saul returned to eating his meal, but never once taking his eyes off of Noctis. "I'll admit hearing that piece of information caught me by surprise. I just had to come here and see what the commotion was about." Grinning, the auburn-haired man leaned back in his seat. "What has you so desperate that you had to come to the Black Bandits for help?"

"We need information," answered Noctis curtly.

"I value myself as a fairly smart man, but even I need a bit more detail than that. What sort of information?"

The Prince frowned. "If you don't know what's going on by now, to some degree, then should we really be coming to you for help?"

A smirk graced Saul's visage as he chuckled under his breath. "A good point. Are things really that bad that you need my help in reclaiming your kingdom?"

"As I said, we need information. Trying to gather it ourselves would be a bit difficult, considering everything." His voice trailing down, Noctis closed his lips tight when the waiter returned with a platter of appetizers, which Prompto swiftly began to devour. Dark eyes glanced once more around the restaurant, making sure no one else was near enough to overhear. "We need you to find out if Niflheim really was behind the recent attacks on Lucis or not. And..." His voice caught in his throat.

"And the death of the King?" finished Saul, causing Noctis to give a shuddering nod. "It may sound like an easy task, but it would take some fine finagling, even with my network and contacts. You can rest assured that finding out the truth behind this little game that seems to be in play will take a fair amount of time and work. What are you offering? I can't see you being able to pay me easily now that you've run away from home. Unless you managed to have a huge pile of Gil hidden on you, somewhere."

Noctis found himself sitting up a bit straighter and glancing to his friends. The subject of payment had come up earlier in the week between them, thanks to Cid for having pointed it out. Acquiring the services of the Black Bandits did not come without its price. So they had discussed the matter, not having much in the way of funds on them, for they had to leave Lucis quickly, or the means of gathering that pay in a reasonable amount of time (even if they had been as good at cards as Valan). There was only one thing that they could offer in their current predicament:

"A favour," replied Noctis.

Saul arched an eyebrow sardonically. "A favour?"

"Lucis will owe you a favour. A substantial fee would also be given, but, as you guessed, that would only be once matters have cleared and I take my place on the throne."

Lacing his fingers together, Saul rested his chin on the back of his hands. "The Black Bandits are part of no kingdom. Taking a favour would not work in our benefit. Actual payment would of course be good, and probably enough, but I don't work for promises. If you don't reclaim the throne, then I don't get paid for all the work I've done. You'll have to come up with something better, _Prince_."

"Me."

"Noctis, what are you saying?" hissed Gladiolus.

"_I'll_ owe you a favour," continued the Prince, ignoring the look his friends were giving him. "Not the kingdom, me. No strings attached. No questions asked. I'll owe you a favour. I know you're aware of my abilities. That alone should pique your interest. And it can still be paid even if we fail to reclaim Lucis. Well, what do you say?"

The leader smirked, his green eyes glinting with cruel delight. "Now you're getting the right idea. See? Isn't it great what sort of arrangements people can come to if they let go of the past?" Noctis bristled at Saul's words and the memories that were drudged up again. "A favour from you, and that payment should all go well and you return to your kingdom."

"Done."

Prompto let out a long sigh. "Something tells me we should have had Ignis handle this..."

* * *

Ignis gathered what he could. Packing was minimal, as he could only take what he could carry. The corruption in Lucis ran deeper than he had first feared, all the way to the new King. Having followed the trail from the odd guards by the Temple that eventful night started him on the needed path. The searching had taken a while, days of hunting in the shadows and trusting no one else.

Glancing over his shoulder, the bespectacled man took one last look at his apartment. Everything else had to be left behind, for he had no knowledge of when he would be able to return, even his family and other friends knew not of his plan. His search for the truth had been secret, and so he had been unable to let even them know, despite the part of his mind that was screaming to tell them how the war was a sham, and Morior a usurper. They were like everyone else of Lucis: Caught in the web of lies that had been spun by the new King to trap all those in his scheme.

With a sigh, Ignis left his apartment, closing and locking the door behind him. As horrible as things were now, though the people of Lucis did not see it in the same light as he did, he had a new matter to hold his focus. One step of his plan was complete, finding the source of the corruption, but the second step, finding where Noctis had gone, still had to be taken.

It would be difficult. A light sigh escaped him at the thought of how he really did not know where they had gone. There was a mental checklist of locations, certainly, but that list alone was long, and that was only of the most-likely places. Separate from that list was another of completely possible, yet less-likely places, which was practically the entire world, and even beyond. For all he knew, Noctis had gone off to some remote location, away from cities, towns, and any sort of contact with other people. Perhaps they should have at least come up with a number of locations agreed upon, giving him only a handful of places to search rather than the entire planet.

"Ignis Scientia?" asked someone once he had left the apartment building.

Three men in front of him, and one on either side. The bespectacled man tensed, for the five were of the Royal Guard. While he worked for the royal family of Lucis (though in the past several days, he had all but quit his job, only holding onto the position to help get in the information that he had needed), the Royal Guard had never before come for him.

"Yes," he answered tentatively, trying his hardest to read the guards' expressions, but it was no use.

"Ignis Scientia, you're under arrest for conspiring to commit treason against the crown of Lucis."

That was it. Cursing under his breath, Ignis bolted away from the guards as fast as he could. Slipping out of Lucis silently was no longer a plausible plan. Depending on how the next few crucial moments went, he would be lucky to just leave the city, let alone the kingdom.

The nearest guard moved to cut him off, but, being nimble, Ignis managed to dodge. What he would not give for Noctis' teleportation ability at that moment. His thoughts cut short, Ignis tumbled to the hard ground, a pain piercing his side. He could feel his abilities being sealed, and his body becoming paralysed, leaving him capable of no more than ragged breathing. The footsteps of the guards nearing him echoed in his mind before he slipped to sleep, or unconsciousness, he was not sure which.

When he awoke, he was met by three cold stone walls while the fourth was of cold steel bars. He groaned, his body still protesting and his mind giving him a headache when he tied to make sense of what had happened. The guards and prison were obvious enough, but the charge of conspiracy to commit treason left him baffled.

"Well, at least you didn't sleep for very long," said a cold and level voice from the other side of the bars.

His head clearing, Ignis pushed himself up from the poor excuse for a bed and stared at the usurper King. He only stared at Morior, not wanting to voice anything in case it gave the King useful information, no matter how slight.

"I thought you had left with your friends. But you just had to stay and poke your nose in where it did not belong. That information will do you no good any more. Only one thing can save you now. Where is Noctis?"

Ignis arched an eyebrow before coolly responding, "You've managed to maneuver this stratagem of yours into play, and yet you honestly think that I would tell you where Nocts went? I do believe that I've given you more credit than you deserve."

"You should know the simplest course is always worth taking. Where is he?"

Clasping his hands together over his lap, Ignis leaned against the wall behind him. "I don't know."

"Come now, be reasonable. You must know where your friends have gone."

"Come now, be _sensible_. You must know that I would purposely _avoid_ learning where they went for this very reason."

"Where is Noctis?" demanded Morior, his patience already growing thin.

"Take your pick. Your guess is as good as mine. Somewhere in Domumna? Sure. There're still a number of places outside of Lucis where he could hide. But don't forget Zenn'thus. That land is larger than Domumna, and holds far more many secrets, especially past the mountains. Though there is the gateway to Erebus there, too, something that only Noctis could now use. And that's only the places that the living can reach. Certainly you must recall our journey to the Underworld; that realm is no longer a mystery to us. Granted, you _could_ actually follow him there, but you would not be returning."

Eyes closed, he could not stop his mouth from twitching every so slightly into a frown. He tried his hardest to pass it off as an annoyed scowl, one directed not at his current predicament, but rather his friends. If they actually had the audacity to even consider travelling to the Underworld, he would see to bringing them back from the land of the dead only to send them back there himself. The four of them had been lucky the last time that they had travelled to that unseen realm where Etro had allowed them passage home. He could not be so certain that they would be as fortunate the next.

"I suggest you get started. It is quite a long list of locations to search."

There was a long silence before Morior finally said, "It does not matter any more. Noctis is as good as captured."

"Perhaps you should be the one wearing glasses, for Noctis is no where here, and likely no where inside Lucis. He is hardly 'as good as captured'." Ignis frowned some more in thought. His friends may very well _have_ returned to Lucis for all he knew, hiding in plan sight, as it were. A stupid move in his mind, considering how now most everyone in the kingdom believed Noctis to be a traitor, but one that he would not put past his friends.

"That is where _you_ come in, Ignis. Having you imprisoned will certainly get the Prince to return in attempts to save you."

"If he hears of it," responded Ignis. He could not bring himself to say something along the lines of "Noctis would not do that", for he could actually picture his friends trying to come up with their own rescue plan despite the importance of staying away from Lucis. "Was this war of yours worth it?"

"It is not _my_ war, it is _Lucis_' war. It is for the benefit of the kingdom." Frowning in disgust, Ignis could not dignify that comment with a response. A war was hardly in the kingdom's best interests. War rarely was, in the long run. "You'll have plenty of time to think on that while in here."

Saying no more, Morior left. Only then did Ignis let out a long sigh and slide down the bed until he was in a rather slumped position, hardly comfortable, but it matched his mood.

How was he going to get out?

* * *

"Geeze. Seriously? You're playing cards with Valan _again_? Is that all you guys do when I'm out? And what happened to you not getting sucked into Prompto's black hole?"

"Oh shush," muttered Noctis, focusing on his cards in hand rather intently. Watching the games had only lasted him so long before he caved and joined the gambling to see if any of them could constantly beat Valan. Prompto had dwindled down to only a few tokens left, while Gladiolus and Noctis together did not even equal half of Valan's. It was rather embarrassing that such a young kid could beat them so easily. After much more thought than he would have liked, the Prince finally placed down a card.

"Well, this game's over!" chuckled Valan as he placed down his final cards. A loud groan escaped the other three while he just claimed the pot. "Really? You guys are still surprised by me winning?"

"We can still hope," replied Gladious, tossing down his cards dejectedly.

"Any news today?" asked Prompto.

"Actually, yes. Looks like Saul's ready to deli—whoa!" blurted out the skycaptain when the three friends bolted up from the table, ready to leave. Valan, like last time, refused to go see that "damned man" and remained behind on _Daedalus_ while the others left to go gather the information.

It was rather similar to the last meeting: Saul was eating again at that same restaurant that Noctis, once more, did not notice what the name of the establishment. Noctis sat down without hesitation or fear of the leader of the Black Bandits. The need to know drove him to look past his dislike of the redhead.

"What did you find?" demanded Noctis.

"No hello? Or even some other greeting? Goodness, kids these days." Saul let out a long, exaggerated sigh, which made Noctis want to grind his teeth together in frustration. "Well, where should I begin?"

"Was Niflheim behind the attacks?"

A long pause of silence followed the question while the redhead took a long draught from his drink. It was taking much more restraint than Noctis would have liked to keep himself from strangling the man. "No," the leader finally answered.

Prompto blurted, "Who then?" before anyone else could.

"Tenebrae."

"What!" barked Gladiolus. "But that assassin was aimed at both the Lucis and Tenebrae royal families!"

"To help bring your two kingdoms together, and set up Niflheim for the blame, from what I could gather. You see, Lucis, by order of the new King, has declared war on Niflheim."

Noctis felt his blood drain from his face. War. The one thing that their kingdom had avoided all the long years was finally at their doorstep. He sank into his seat, his friends doing much the same upon hearing the news.

"There was something else that I found, too," continued Saul. Noctis could only bring himself to give a small grunt, unable to voice any coherent question. "Turns out you're no longer the beloved Prince of Lucis."

Finding his voice, Noctis managed to utter, "What?"

_Run._

There it was again, Niveus' voice in the back of his mind like the night that he had to flee his kingdom. Why was she telling him to run? She had not done so during their first meeting with Saul.

Saul dabbed at his mouth with his napkin. "Turns out you're wanted in your own kingdom now for conspiracy."

"_What_?!" Blood rushing, Noctis and his friends bolted up, noticing several other people in the restaurant doing the same thing around them.

_Noctis, run!_

For a brief moment, Noctis wondered if the people were other Black Bandits or not. That question would have to remain unanswered, for he had to get out of there. The power of the Crystal flowing through him, he summoned forth his sword, seeing that other weapons were also present and that his friends currently had none. If he had to fight, then there would be no stopping him. Eyes flashed not red, but a bright and pale blue from the full power of the Crystal as he teleported to behind the nearest person.

That was all he could do.

Grunting, Noctis felt like a weight was pressing down on him, constricting around his body and crushing not only his form, but his mind as well. His eyes reverted back to their normal colour, the power of the Crystal no longer reaching him. Like the night that his father had been murdered, something was interfering with his abilities. His friends still tried to fight, but they were taken down one by one.

"Sorry, Niv," muttered Noctis, collapsing to his knees and dropping his sword. The person in front of him turned around, and he gasped. The men were not of the Black Bandits at all. "Cor?" he asked, recognizing the face of the man. He was a high-ranking member of the Royal Guard, and, on many occasions, had been assigned to protect the royal family members himself. "Cor, what's going on?"

"Prince Noctis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia, Prompto Argentum, and Cid Caldwell, you are all under arrest for committing treason against Lucis and conspiring with Niflheim," stated Cor, his expression grim. Powers sealed, everything from wielding a weapon, to casting a spell, to even using the Crystal's gift, Noctis could do nothing as Cor and his men arrested Noctis and his friends.

"Saul, you bastard!" Gladiolus managed to spit before they were led out. "How could you do this?!"

Remaining calmly seated, Saul returned to his meal. "You had a decent price, but theirs was better. That is all."

* * *

**A/N:** Cameo for Cor! He'll get a bit more too. Don't worry, he's not evil! Just very duty-bound to Lucis in this, to a fault. But yeah, Saul...his allegiance is only to the highest bidder. And, like in Lux Crystallis, the whole blocking their abilities is meant to be like the spells in the FF games that block physical/magical abilities. Stuff to be explained more next chapter, so I'll get working on that right away!


End file.
